In an effort to provide flexibility for voters, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh announced Friday nine early voting sites for the November 2016 presidential election as a part of the Early Voting Initiative, according to a Friday press release.
“A vibrant democracy is one where every resident has the opportunity to have their voice heard,” Walsh said in the release. “I am pleased that in Massachusetts, we have taken a significant step forward by passing election reforms that allow for early voting. Here in Boston, we are committed to giving all of our residents the opportunity to participate.”
The Early Voting Initiative, which will be active from Oct. 24 to Nov. 4 in each City Council district, will allow residents to vote during business and evening hours and on the weekend, the release stated.
In 2014, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed a bill proposing early voting booths to go into effect this year, The Daily Free Press reported on Nov. 12, 2015.
The press release stated that city officials are in the planning process for the Early Voting Initiative.
“The Mayor’s Election Advisory Committee and the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s Research Department are currently assisting the Election Department in developing a detailed plan that incorporates several early voting proposals for public input and feedback,” the release stated.
Dion Irish, commissioner at the Boston Election Department, said $670,000 has been committed to facilitating early voting during business hours in at least one site, a legal minimum, and to providing additional sites aside from the City Hall.
“There’s a baseline cost associated with [early voting] and hiring additional staff to do this and to communicate to about 600,000 residents,” Irish said. “Since we’re so significantly invested into just having one site to meet the requirements, why not also meet the spirit of the law which allows the community to exercise the option of providing additional sites?”
Irish said remote voting will also be available during the early voting period.
“Voters can send early ballots by mail,” Irish said. “They can submit an application that we mail their early ballot to them at their location.”
John Portz, a political science professor at Northeastern University, said the initiative will increase voting opportunities despite causing a potential shift of public opinion before the official election day.
“By increasing opportunities for participation, it’s a stronger statement of what the voters want,” Portz said. “The higher the participation level, I think that it serves the interests of democracy in general [and] also helps the candidates demonstrate a stronger base of support among the voting public.”
Several Boston residents expressed mixed views toward the Early Voting Initiative but recognized the advantage of having more time to vote.
Connor Cataldo, 23, of Brighton, said although the initiative provides more flexibility for voters, citizens still lack interest in politics.
“I guess there’s more time to go vote, which is important if it’s early,” he said. “People have more time to go the polls as opposed to the one-day [election]. [Participation is at a] pretty all-time low. Most people are disinterested in politics in general.”
Vladimir Lamerique, 27, of Brighton, said the early voting opportunity provides more leeway in participation.
“It might be good, but I’m not sure why they’re giving Boston that actual start before the rest of the states,” he said. “People still put in trust in those leaders, so I think people are definitely going to come out and vote against the ones they don’t want to see in the [White] House as well as the ones they like.”
Chuck Hitchcock, 31, of Jamaica Plain, said the early voting should take place online to make the process even more accessible to voters.
“They should do it online,” he said. “Eleven days is a good amount of time. I think that’s not a big deal.”
