2025 Election News and Blog Posts

When: Monday, January 12 at 7 pm
Where: Charlestown Town Hall
What: Just before the Town Council meeting starts, Bonnie will take the oath of office and will officially join the Town Council

Thank you to each of the 1,465 voters who took the time to vote in this special election, congratulations to Bonnie Van Slyke for winning the election, and congratulations to all three candidates for putting their names forward as candidates! Vote totals in post.

After 8 p.m. on election day, Tuesday, December 2, the RI Board of elections will begin to report election results for Charlestown. You can get to the Charlestown results by clicking on the link in this post.

There’s one candidate who stands out above the rest and deserves our vote, Bonnie Van Slyke. In her own right, Bonnie‘s experience and past service on the Charlestown town council (2014-2022) place her as the best choice.

I write to ask Charlestown’s registered voters to support Bonnie Van Slyke’s bid for the vacant seat on our Town Council. Please vote (now, or on election day), and when you vote – go deep!

The only “special interest” that Bonnie has is to protect Charlestown’s spectacular natural resources and low tax rate, to promote honest and transparent government, to prevent unregulated development and loss of local control, to promote positive educational leadership, and to protect all these assets for future generations.

Virginia Lee: “Independent Charlestown Town Council candidate Bonnie Van Slyke’s previous service on the Town Council proves she has the experience and integrity to represent you well. She is a proven candidate for Charlestown Town Council. She will listen to your concerns and is willing to do the hard work to protect our environment, our economy, and our low tax rate.”

You can return your ballot by mail, but make sure there is time for it to be received by December 2. If you are in Charlestown, you can place your mail ballot in the special ballot box outside Town Hall anytime between now and December 2, 2025.

In the last year, a few developers have proposed packing into their developments many more houses per acre than are allowed under zoning. For instance, on an environmentally sensitive parcel zoned for about 20 houses, over 400 dwelling units were proposed. Recent changes to Rhode Island law make over-development in vulnerable areas in Charlestown almost inevitable.

Keeping the water that flows beneath the ground (groundwater) clean is one of the most important issues facing Charlestown—not only because it is the source of our drinking water, but also because its deterioration will affect the health of our saltwater ponds and inland lakes.

It happens every campaign, and it has happened again. Campaign signs mysteriously walk away, never to be seen again. Campaign signs create visual clutter and contribute to plastic pollution. They are also expensive and require monitoring to check if they are still in place. Perhaps in future elections, local candidates could all agree on one thing, and that would be to skip the campaign signs.

Wednesday, November 12 is the first day of Early Voting at Town Hall. Voting will take place between 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, from Wednesday, November 12 to Wednesday, November 26. An additional early in person voting day will take place at Charlestown Town Hall between 8:30 am to 4:00 pm on Monday, December 1.

Our town deserves a government that will safeguard our excellent quality of life, our low tax rate, and our beautiful environment, priorities supported overwhelmingly by our taxpayers in the 2021 Town-wide Survey. To accomplish this, I offer the commitments listed in this post if elected to the Town Council:

I’ve watched our town change over the years, sometimes for the better, sometimes in ways that make me pause. I want to make sure Charlestown stays the kind of place that drew us all here in the first place: beautiful, rural, with dark skies and a local government that’s grounded in common sense.

When: Vote from November 12 to December 2
Where: Charlestown Town Hall, 4540 South County Trail – or by Mail ballot
What: Special election to fill a Town Council seat left vacant by the passing of Richard “Rippy” Serra

Please support Independent candidate Bonnita B. Van Slyke in the December election.

Because Town Councilor Richard “Rippy” Serra’s passing on August 7 created a vacancy on the Town Council more than one year prior to the 2026 election, the Town’s Charter requires a special election rather than an appointment to fill his seat. The person elected on December 2 will serve until December 2026. In this post are candidates, deadlines, polling places and more.

The deadline to apply for a mail ballot for the special election is November 12.
If you think an out of town trip, bad weather, or any other reason may stop you from voting in the December 2, 2025, special Charlestown Town Council election, consider ordering a mail ballot. Or if you simply enjoy the convenience of voting by mail, the reason, “I choose to vote by mail” is now an allowed reason to request a mail ballot.

When re-elected to the Town Council, Bonnie will hit the ground running to stand up for the best interests of our town, and she will bring a much-needed balance to the Town Council where everyone is now part of the same political group. Bonnie is committed to accountable and ethical leadership, sound fiscal management, local control over land use, wise stewardship of our natural resources, and positive educational leadership.

RI law limits the amount that CCA can donate to one candidate and as a result, Bonnie Van Slyke will have to raise and spend her own campaign finance funds. If you want to make a donation to Bonnie’s campaign in the December election, please follow the directions in this post.

Thank you to everyone who gave up part of a beautiful summer day to visit us at the Charlestown Mini Super on October 2, 3, and 4 to sign Bonnie Van Slyke’s  nomination papers for the December 2 special election. Thank you especially to the Mini Super for generously allowing us to set up Bonnie’s nomination papers in front of the store!

Where: Charlestown Mini Super, 4071 Old Post Rd. (map in post)
When: Thursday, October 2 from 1 pm to 3 pm
When: Friday, October 3 from 1 pm to 3 pm
When: Saturday, October 4 from 1 pm to 3 pm
What: If you are registered to vote in Charlestown, all we need is your signature on Bonnie’s nomination papers. Bonnie will be volunteering her time for the next year; please take a few minutes of your own time to help her get started.

CCA is pleased to endorse Bonnie Van Slyke for the 2025 special Town Council election. Bonnie served from 2014 through 2022 on the Town Council and has the proven skills and dedication to do what’s right for the town, our environment, and Charlestown’s taxpayers. Bonnie’s experience on the Town Council will allow her to hit the ground running if elected in December.