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Hey #mapoli, MA has a long history as a democratic leader, but we have fallen behind on voting rights. The 2020 election reforms are set to expire.
In @CommonWealthMag, @jamiedhoag & I lay out 3 steps for the legislature to improve voting rights in 2021. https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/3-steps-mass-should-take-to-boost-voting-rights/
In @CommonWealthMag, @jamiedhoag & I lay out 3 steps for the legislature to improve voting rights in 2021. https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/3-steps-mass-should-take-to-boost-voting-rights/
First, MA should modernize our registration system. Too many eligible voters – many of them young voters and voters of color – are unnecessarily disenfranchised by arbitrary voter registration deadlines.
MA should join NH & 20 other states + DC in implementing same-day voter registration for both early voters and election day voters.
We should also allow voters to register to vote online & reform the administration of our automatic voter registration law to enroll more eligible voters when they interact with state government agencies.
MA should also expand early voting. Early voting has been extraordinarily successful in Massachusetts but it is only available in some elections.
MA should expand early voting to ALL elections & allow early voting the weekend before Election Day, as many other states do.
MA should expand early voting to ALL elections & allow early voting the weekend before Election Day, as many other states do.
MA should mail every eligible voter a ballot. MA should not only make vote-by-mail permanent, it should require the Secretary of State to mail every registered voter a ballot rather than an application for a ballot.
Sending an application for a ballot is a needlessly complicated step. It increases the cost of administration. It increases the burden on voters & election workers.
Other states have shown that mailing all registered voters a ballot is easy and it has not resulted in fraud.
Other states have shown that mailing all registered voters a ballot is easy and it has not resulted in fraud.
When implementing mail-in voting, return postage should be prepaid and the Legislature should allow mail ballots to count if they are postmarked – rather than received – by the time polls close on Election Day.