Senator Cindy Creem and Representative John Lawn, filers of the legislation, say that the VOTES Act will strengthen equity, access, and security in Massachusetts elections.

BOSTON — State legislators and staff gathered virtually today for a briefing on “An Act Fostering Voter Opportunities Trust, Equity, and Security.” The briefing was hosted by Senator Cindy Creem and Representative John Lawn, who filed the legislation, and sponsored by advocacy organizations in the Election Modernization Coalition. Peg Perl, the Director of Elections for Arapahoe County in Colorado, discussed how reforms that are included in the VOTES Act work in practice in Colorado.

A full recording of the briefing is available здесь.

The bill has over 100 legislative sponsors. According to the filers and advocates, it is a priority for the 192nd General Court, and should be passed early in the session to ensure its reforms are available to voters in the fall 2021 municipal elections.

Срок действия голосования по почте, расширенного досрочного голосования и других положений, включенных во временное законодательство, принятое на прошлой сессии, истекает в конце июня 2021 года.

«Крайне важно, чтобы мы гарантировали, что реформы, которые уже сработали для избирателей и которые, как ожидают избиратели, будут доступны им снова, будут реализованы на наших предстоящих муниципальных выборах и будущих выборах на уровне штата», — сказал Представитель Джон Лоун.

Сторонники и законодатели отметили, что Закон VOTES, если он будет принят, не только сделает предыдущие временные изменения постоянными, но и усилит избирательную систему Массачусетса другими способами.

«Закон VOTES дает всесторонний обзор состояния выборов в Массачусетсе», — сказал Senator Cindy Creem. “Even with mail-in voting, Bay Staters still face barriers to participation like our 20-day registration deadline. That’s why we include Same Day Registration. Incarcerated eligible voters – who are disproportionately Black or people of color – face undue barriers to casting a counted ballot. That’s why we include jail-based voting provisions. And our voter registration infrastructure needs work so the job of facilitating elections is easier on clerks, and our elections are more secure — that’s why we passed ERIC in 2018, and why our bill includes a deadline by which the Secretary of the Commonwealth must adopt ERIC.”

“In states like Georgia, we are seeing the next wave of voter suppression aimed at silencing the voices of ordinary Americans, and especially Black voters and voters of color,” said Rahsaan Hall, Director of the Racial Justice Program, ACLU-MA. “If there has ever been a moment for Massachusetts to take stock of its election infrastructure, and do everything in our power to ensure all eligible voters can participate, that moment is now.”

“The VOTES Act is the best chance Massachusetts has to quickly move the needle closer to equitable and participatory elections,” said Beth Huang of the Massachusetts Voter Table, a civic engagement coalition, “but it’s imperative that the Legislature act quickly. We are urging members of the 192nd General Court to take this common sense, comprehensive elections bill up, and pass it, in time to ensure that voters in cities like Boston can make their voice heard in local government.”

“Since 2013, Colorado has implemented many reforms that Massachusetts is considering in the VOTES Act including permanent mail-in voting, early voting, same-day registration, risk-limiting audits and more,” said Peg Perl, the Director of Elections for Arapahoe County in Colorado. “These reforms have demonstrated an increase in voter turnout and public confidence in the administration of elections at all levels in Colorado. These reforms ARE a positive comprehensive response to systemic barriers to democracy and I’m excited to see Massachusetts consider these effective models.”

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Коалиция по модернизации выборов состоит из Американского союза защиты гражданских свобод Массачусетса, организации Common Cause Massachusetts, организации «Юристы за гражданские права», Лиги женщин-избирательниц Массачусетса, MASSPIRG, MassVOTE и Комиссии по выборам Массачусетса.