R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-5-6: Count of votes — Declaration of results.

Through the use of optical scan voting equipment authorized pursuant to this title, the state board shall count and tabulate all votes cast and shall declare the result in the manner provided by law, and this declaration shall be a sufficient notice to all officers, and all other persons interested, of the adoption or the rejection of any amendment of the Constitution or of the manner in which any question submitted to the electors of the state has been decided.