Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea announced a special election for Providence City Council Ward 15 on July 6.

If required, a special primary election is scheduled for June 8.

The city council seat is vacant after Sabina Matos was confirmed and sworn in as lieutenant governor of the state earlier this month.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of Matos’s term until the end of 2022.

Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea has scheduled a special election for April 3, following the resignation of former state Sen. Jamie Doyle.

Doyle, who represented Senate District 8, unexpectedly stepped down from office citing personal reasons stemming from his struggle with alcohol.

A primary election will be held on February 27 if more than one candidate from either party qualifies to run for the empty seat.

Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea’s transition committee has issued recommendations “to improve the public’s perception of their government.”

In the committee’s report, they endorse the creation of a lobbying task force to “guide efforts to strengthen, simplify and clarify Rhode Island’s lobbying law.” Calling the current lobbying laws antiquated, the committee recommends increasing both the fines for violations and the fees for registration. The report argues the increases “will help incentivize lobbyists to be compliant” with the state’s laws. Other recommendations include overhauling the Lobby Tracker reporting system, more “robust” education about the lobbying laws, and increased oversight of lobbyists.

The report makes other policy suggestions unrelated to lobbying, such as reviewing the photo ID requirement at polling places for its possible impact on suppressing voter turnout.