If you want to expand voter access in Massachusetts, now is the time to contact your state Senator. Today the Senate will take up S.1975, an election modernization bill that includes online voter registration, early voting, … [Read more...]
Online voter registration and early voting passed the House
There hasn't been much media coverage on this so far (here and here) so in case you missed it, on Wednesday night just before the House recessed, it overwhelmingly passed online voter registration and early voting, 142 to 10. These … [Read more...]
Why take baby steps for election modernization when we need a giant leap?
Last week, the Joint Committee on Election Laws released a timid and disappointing election reform package. H.3647 implements online voter registration and some early voting. Conspicuously missing are provisions to require post election … [Read more...]
Did state lawmakers help John Roberts?
August 6 is the 48th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act. This is the first anniversary since the Supreme Court invalidated Section 4 of the Act, striking critical protections for voters in 9 Southern states and various … [Read more...]
A Voting System Built for the 21st Century
Back in November, voters in many Massachusetts cities had to wait up to three hours to vote on Election Day. While we did not face the seven hour lines present in some battleground states, as President Obama said in his inaugural address, … [Read more...]
Record Youth And Minority Turnout Threatened By Persistent Election Barriers
The dirty secret of elections in America is that getting on the rolls, casting a ballot, and having that ballot counted is a complicated system adjudicated and carried out by more than 3,000 counties and towns and regulated by a complex mix … [Read more...]
Op-Ed about Low Voter Turnout (targeted to concerned, but not yet active, citizens)
But hey, it's a free country. We should be free to vote or not vote at our leisure. True enough, but here's the kicker: witholding your vote doesn't raise any eyebrows at the State House. No one cares. When the … [Read more...]
Election Day Registration: hearing next Wednesday.
EDR is ripe for passage this year. Deval Patrick supports EDR and Tim Murray is slated to testify at next week?s hearing. Bill Galvin has said he ?wants to make it work.? Martha Coakley is for it. City and town clerks are … [Read more...]
Election Day Registration – it’s not just for new voters
Sure, you can cast a provisional ballot, but will it be counted? What if you live in a different district? What if it's a special election? The district my friend moved into had a primary for state representative decided … [Read more...]