Elections Bill H.4778

Elections Bill H.4778

Time Range For Action Alert: 
Jun 10 2020 to Jun 19 2020

Senate Passes Bill to Mail Ballot Applications

LWVMA and our partners in the Election Modernization Coalition applaud the Massachusetts Senate for unanimously passing S.2755, a bill which makes necessary changes to protect our Sept. 1 primary election and Nov. 3 general election, including sending every voter an application for a ballot to be returned by mail.  We urge the legislature to quickly reconcile the House and Senate versions of the bill and get a final version to Governor Baker for his signature.

The Massachusetts Senate voted 6/6/20 on the bill for changes in the fall elections in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. That bill passed the House June 4 and is now numbered H.4778, An Act relative to voting options in response to COVID-19. This is a strong bill and we hope the Senate passes it so it can go quickly to the Governor. The sooner this bill is signed into law, the sooner our election officials can take the steps needed to assure our fall elections are safer and more accessible.

 Please call or email State Senator Susan Moran today and ask for her support of H.4778.  

 The bill as passed by the House will:

  • Mail applications for vote by mail ballots to every registered voter before the Sept. 1 primary and the Nov. 3 general election
  • Create an online portal for voters to request a mailed ballot
  • Expand in-person early voting for both elections
  • Provide prepaid postage to return both applications and ballots by mail
  • Allow election officials to process mailed ballots at a central location and before Election Day (results will not be tabulated or reported until polls close)
  • Allow voter registration up to 10 days before each election rather than the current 20 days
  • Count ballots postmarked by Election Day but received by the following Friday (Nov. 6) for the November election
  • Require the Secretary of the Commonwealth to issue regulations for safe in-person polling place operation
  • Establish that precaution taken because of COVID-19 is a legitimate reason to vote by absentee ballot

The primary election is 82 days from June 10 and the November election is 116 days away. There is no time to waste.

 

Ask Senator Susan Moran to help pass H.4778 now.



Issues referenced by this action alert: 
Voting Rights
This action alert is related to which committees: 
Legislative CommitteeVoter Service Committee