Election Day Registration passed out of committee recently with a significant majority. But it seems to be stuck in the Senate Ways and Means committee. It needs the support of the Senate President and Senate Ways and Means Chair to move to the full senate for a vote.
A lot of people tell me that bills generally move slowly through the legislature, that these things take quite some time. And that’s true. But by contrast the effort to move the primary from March 4 to February 5 was pushed through the legislature in a matter of just a few weeks. Secretary of State Galvin was emphatic in his push to make our state “relevant” by having a February 5th primary. He lobbied hard for that change.
When I was at the EDR hearing, the main event was Secretary of State Galvin’s testimony. All ears were on him. It was clear he had the most influence of anybody as to whether this legislation passed. In the legislature, any election issues are usually deferred to the Secretary of State, so Galvin’s help in passing this bill is crucial.
The question is, will he lead?
List o’ Senators and a phone number!
The one question I have is how is residency verified? Also, if for example both NH and MA had same-day registration this primary cycle I could have voted in NH, moved to MA within a month, and voted again in the primary. I might have even had a regular residence in MA and a summer residence on Lake Winnepasaukee and voted in both places since all that’s usually required to prove residency is a bill. Double-voting hardly seems fair.
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p>If you vote in the location of your summer house, you are breaking MA oath. I’m not a lawyer, but I suspect that MGL 56.8 will catch up with folks like you’re worrying about.
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p>To put it another way, when was the last time an election was decided by a single vote? Are you going to risk 10 large and 5 years in the pen to cast a single illegal vote? A dozen of ’em? The risk/reward hardly seems worth it.
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p>P.S. If you lived in and voted in NH, and then actually moved to MA, you should be allowed to vote in the MA primary too. It’s no difference than getting to vote in a US Senate election every 2 years (instead of twice every six years) because you keep happening to move to a new state for which there’s a senate race.
…your solution holds the voter accountable assuming your premise is true. However, it does not happen until after the vote is cast and since ballots are secret there is no way to tell which votes to cancel (as there would be if you voted for more candidates than you should have on a single ballot.
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p>I also disagree with your Senate race analogy. First of all, each state has a separate race itself two or four years apart (MA is 2006 and 2008 for example). Second, these are separate elections whereas a presidential primary season is basically the same election spread out over several months.
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p>I really do want this to work. Actually, I would propose skipping the registration step altogether and just have voters flash ID on the spot. My license is sufficient to verify my name, address, and age, but provisions could be made for other IDs for people without licenses or to verify citizenship.
If you are going to rate both my comments on this thread as “worthless” and give them zeroes the courteous thing to do would be to explain yourself. I personally never give a zero except in the case of grossly offensive language.
Sorry Chris,
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p>I’m new to bluemassgroup, I was unaware of the voting process, and I shouldn’t have voted as I did. I’ve changed the votes for your posts. Glad to have you as part of the discussion.
There is scant evidence of voter’s attempting to vote in multiple places with EDR. It is exceedingly rare. The punishment that comes for voting twice is serious. The chance that a group of people could successfully commit enough double-voting to change an election outcome is remote, and simply too risky.
In our increasingly mobile society, it is archaic to close voter registration 21 days before an election. That is particularly true in cities where there is high turnover on September 1. I’ve done voter registration in Cambridge and Somerville, and seen first-hand disappointed voters who learn that the deadline for registering for the September primary expired before they moved into their new apartment.
Election Day Registration provides one of those rare opportunities where through legislation (and of course some administrative maneuvering) you can exponentially increase ballot access as soon as the ink dries…
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p>Many of us have spent years working in disenfranchised communities, convincing people one at a time that their voices are necessary to the process, that while our democracy is inclusive, government tends to respond quickest to the squeakiest wheels…and often the “best” voters. Much to our dismay, even after doing the hard work of educating, motivating, and mobilizing new voters they are turned away at the polls for x, y, or z, but often because they are not registered , or failed to change their address. These voices we lose we often lose for ever, disillusioned and unconvinced anyone really cares. And in that process, we all lose.
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p>Senate President Murray, Ways and Means Committee Members, and Secretary Galvin, please show Massachusetts residents their leadership cares about and requires their input. Let’s prove that although ugly political battles are being waged on Beacon Hill governors are governing, legislators are legislating, and that the wheels of government also move for us, because of us. Let’s give the media something positive to talk about, and let’s show voters why they put you there, to lead.
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p>Don’t just move Election Day Registration along, support it, fund it, and ensure its success. Now! This presidential election provides an incredible opportunity to engage new voters and wake up lapsed ones, let’s not waste it!
“Election Day Registration would eliminate 99% of my headache during election season.”
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p>The above quote is taken directly from an elections officer who’s worked for the city of Somerville for 17 years. I had asked her casually what she thought of the impending EDR bill.
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p>Just because there is a scant possibility — I like to call it a theoretical possibility — that there could be double interstate voting, still does not serve to shake the many benefits of having Election Day Registration. Not only is voter turnout, on average, higher for states that have EDR, but we should also think about the indirect ways this could galvanize Get Out the Vote efforts conducted by dozens of small citizen groups in Massachusetts. They could run voter drives during times where their message will resonate: the three weeks leading up to an election. The groups would save a tremendous amount of money and energy. And no longer can a new, hesitant teenage voter say, “Aw, forget it. I missed the deadline.”
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p>I worked the polls in Cambridge during the primaries. Our station was flooded with people. The inspiring turnout, unfortunately, was dampened by the estimated 10% of voters who, for some reason, were not on the active voter list. Some cast provisional ballots, which requires a whole other bureaucratic process, while others simply left in a huff. And not even 1 in 5 were of the typically transient college variety. It was anyone and everyone. It even happened to me two years ago in Brighton when I was SURE I was still registered at my polling place.
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p>Why is it that private sector services do everything they can to maximize access, responsiveness, and convenience? Take the ability to conduct the most common banking transactions out of ATMs basically anywhere in the country. Why shouldn’t the government continually assure and evolve the quality of service for all of us? Perhaps this ethos could be the flagship banner of the next great… ahem… Secretary of State.
Ari,
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p>Thanks for continuing to advocate for passage of the EDR bill. I’m glad to see that the BMG community is working on passing the bill through the Senate.
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p>My impression from working on the bill for the past four years is that there is strong support for passage of EDR in the Senate, although of course it’s important to tell your State Senator that you support the bill.
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p>It is equally important, however, to contact your State Representative. Traditionally there has been stronger opposition to the bill in the House, partly because House members tend to be very close with their town or city clerks, some of whom are opposed to EDR, and also partly because EDR is seen as an (inaccurate) threat to some incumbents. Remind your legislators that their true bosses, the people, are solidly behind this pro-democracy effort.
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p>I have been working throughout this session with MassVOTE and other advocates in picking up support for EDR in the House, but please communicate to your State Representative your strong support for the bill, and what a difference it will make for voter turnout in Massachusetts this fall.
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p>- Jamie
I know my state rep would support this bill in a heart beat, but I’ll have to check with my state senator.
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p>Keep up the good work, Jamie, and good luck on your next election.
http://www.metrobostonnews.com…