Governor Maura Healey today filed a supplemental budget for the 2023 fiscal year which, as requested by the Election Modernization Coalition, includes a dedicated $5 million allocation for local election officials to support new vote by mail and early voting laws passed last year in the VOTES Act. 

The allocation specifically designates that “…the funds shall be expended for grants by the State Secretary to cities and towns for additional costs to administer early in person and by mail in all primaries and elections, including additional municipal personnel.” 

The Election Modernization Coalition released the following joint statement in response:

“We applaud and thank Governor Healey for this important and timely investment in local democracy! Local election officials have the responsibility in the weeks and months ahead to administer municipal elections with new vote by mail and early voting laws. These laws are important expansions to voting rights, and we need to ensure our municipal administrators have the resources they need to be successful. The timing of this funding couldn’t be better.”

Link to Governor’s Supplemental Budget: https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2023/03/17/20230317115345705.pdf 

The Election Modernization Coalition is made up of Common Cause Massachusetts, ACLU of Massachusetts, League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, MassVOTE, the Massachusetts Voter Table, MassPIRG, Lawyers for Civil Rights, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, and Disability Law Center.