The Joint Committee on Election Laws is scheduled to vote on a bill that will allow Massachusetts voters to both register and vote on Election Day. If passed, the legislation will overturn previous laws requiring Massachusetts voters to register at least 20 days prior to an election.
Secretary of State William Galvin proposed the bill for same-day voter registration last week to increase voter turnout and participation. If passed, same-day voter registration would be implemented in the Commonwealth in 2019.
“Allowing voters to register on election day is the next step in our successful effort to expand access to the ballot,” Galvin said in a statement.
The American Civil Liberties Union recently challenged the current voter registration cutoff in court, with the trial court ruling that the current 20-day cutoff violates the Massachusetts Constitution. The case, Chelsea Collaborative v. Galvin, has now been appealed to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, said in a statement that voting is an important right to everyone.
“Voting is the fundamental right upon which all our civil liberties rest,” Rose said. “Massachusetts should move forward with the best possible plan to help every voter in every city, town and precinct exercise their right to vote … ”
Unlike Galvin, the ACLU proposes same-day voter registration be implemented prior to the 2018 midterm elections to “protect and expand the ballot,” Rose said in the statement.
Emily Sinclair, 26, of Roslindale, said that although she was not aware of this bill until recently, she thinks it should be passed.
“It’s really important to let anybody who wants to register to vote, vote that is able to do so,” Sinclair said. “I think same-day would make it really easy for a lot of people.”
Multiple voting rights organizations will submit amicus briefs in support of the ACLU, including the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts and MassVOTE, said LWV executive director Meryl Kessler.
Kessler said these organizations view the current voting law as disproportionately affecting underrepresented groups, such as young people and citizens who move frequently. She also said she is concerned many residents are unaware that the voter registration cutoff exists.
“The league has for 100 years stood for ensuring that elections are free, fair and accessible,” Kessler told The Daily Free Press. “We see election-day registration as the next frontier in terms of making sure that we allow everyone in the state of Massachusetts to have a political voice.”
Kessler said the LWV is also a huge proponent of automatic voter registration in conjunction with election-day registration, which would convert the U.S. voting system from an opt-in structure to one in which citizens can choose to opt out of in the future. She cited reports predicting that the “important comprehensive change” of automatic voter registration could increase the electorate by 700,000 previously unregistered eligible voters.
Javon Gates, 24, of Mattapan, said this vote reform bill could reverse the trend of disenfranchisement affecting people who forget to register on time, and therefore cannot vote due to inconvenience or misunderstanding in registration.
“If I tell you that you can walk into this building and have the impact that you really deserve as a citizen, then I think that makes a lot more sense,” Gates said.
Cheryl Crawford, executive director of MassVOTE, wrote in an email that her organization’s goals align with those of the LWV.
“I believe this legislation is the ultimate piece of legislation to break down voting barriers,” Crawford wrote.
MassVOTE also supports the implementation of automatic voter registration, Crawford wrote, and believes election day voter registration is a “step in the right direction.”
“Unfortunately, the wheels of justice grind very slow here in Massachusetts, especially when it comes to election reform,” Crawford wrote.
Some of the hesitancy in passing the bill relates to issues of funding and logistics, especially when it comes to on-site voter identification and registration, Crawford wrote.
Gabe Taylor, 24, of Hyde Park said he does not think this legislation will significantly increase voter turnout.
“There are a lot of people who don’t vote because they just don’t register, which is a really bad reason not to vote,” Taylor said.
The committee must report on the legislation by Feb. 7.
