MA Election Reform Bill Pushes Permanent Mail-In, Early Voting

Mail-in voting and expanded early voting could be the norm in Massachusetts after Secretary of State William Galvin said Tuesday he will file legislation this month to make them permanent.

Galvin's bill would also allow for same-day voter registration and early voting for local elections, not just federal and state ones.

Mail-in voting and expanded early voting was introduced in the 2020 election, primarily to help allow for more options during the COVID-19 pandemic. It worked: A record 3,657,972 voted in November, with more than 1.5 million of those voting by mail and 844,000 early in-person.

"What we saw last year was that voting by mail was enormously popular," Galvin said in a statement. "While voting by mail may not always be used to the same extent at the pandemic finally ends, my office has heard from many voters who have made it clear that they want this option to remain available for all future elections."

Galvin's bill would allow voters to request and return a ballot via mail, an option that was hailed as a victory by advocates but baselessly criticized as fraudulent by former President Trump.

Voters would also be able to cast ballots in-person for 14 days before Election Day for general elections and seven days before primaries, including on weekends. It would also allow cities and towns to offer early voting for local elections, which would be a first in Massachusetts.

The bill would make permanent other allowances that were made to help hire and assign poll works and process ballots on the local level.

"In crafting this proposal, it was important to make sure we worked closely with local election officials to be sure that we knew what worked in 2020 and what didn’t work as well," Galvin said. "These changes will allow local election officials the flexibility they need to get their polling places adequately staffed and organized and to get ballots counted in a way that is both timely and secure."

The legislation would also allow voters to register and update their information at voting sites right before casting a ballot. Currently, voters must be registered at least 20 days before Election Day.

“As I have said for several years, I believe that with the appropriate technological safeguards in place, we can implement same day voter registration in a convenient and secure manner, as several of our neighboring states have done," Galvin said.

State Sen. Rebecca Rausch, a Natick Democrat, last month filed a bill that would allow mail-in voting in all elections.