Rhode Island General Laws Title 17. Elections § 17-19-36. Tabulation of town returns--Certificate of election

The local board shall meet on the day following the election and shall tabulate the town or city election returns, as the case may be, and announce the results, but shall issue no certificates of election until the time for petitions filed under this section has expired and, if a petition has been filed, until the petition has been finally determined. Any candidate at the election challenging the correctness of the declaration of result as applied to the candidate may, within seven (7) days after the election, petition the state board to conduct a recount of the votes cast according to the provisions set forth in § 17-19-37.1. After the completion of the recount, and if it finds that the candidate was elected, it shall direct the local board to issue to the candidate a certificate of election, but if it finds that the candidate declared to be elected by the local board was in fact elected, it shall direct the board to issue a certificate of election to the candidate previously declared elected.