Originally published in the Boston Globe on September 4, 2025. View the article here. 

In front of Boston City Hall, Geoff Foster stacked 1125 pieces of paper on top of a box labeled “ballots.” Then he placed a sign on top which said “REJECTED ‘BALLOTS.’”

Behind him, dozens of people held up signs reading “Every Vote Counts” and “Dissent is Patriotic.”

The demonstration showed just under half of the provisional ballots rejected in the November 2024 election, and a call to reform Massachusetts voting laws.

“This only represents 1125 provisional ballots that were rejected in Boston,” said Rahsaan Hall, director of Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts. “This many votes, this many opportunities to engage and access our democratic process. Is this what we want democracy to continue to look like?”

Foster and Hall are a part of a coalition of organizations calling on the state legislature to pass three bills which aim to increase access to the ballot box and make voting more accessible.

MassVOTE, a nonprofit organization focused on promoting political participation, and the Election Modernization Coalition, a legislative advocacy coalition, hosted a press conference on Wednesday, explaining the three bills and why they believe the bills must be passed.

The bills focus on three different aspects of voting access: same day voter registration; decoupling the municipal census from voter registration; and increasing accessibility for voters with disabilities. They are set to be voted on by legislators on Sept. 16.

“We are here because we believe in this city and in this country, we believe in democracy, not just as an idea, but as a lived reality that must include every single voice,” City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said at the press conference. “Too often that has not been the case. Too many of our neighbors have been shut out, marginalized, or told directly or indirectly that their vote does not matter, and today, we stand together to change that.”

The same day registration bill would allow residents to register to vote or update existing registration on Election Day and during the early voting period, by showing proof of residency, according to MassVote’s website. Currently, voters must register to vote no later than 10 days prior to election day.

Boston’s preliminary election is next Tuesday, Sept. 9.

The bill to separate the local census from voter registration would mean that a resident who does not answer the census is not automatically dropped from the voter rolls. Under current law, inactive voters must re-register to vote.

The disabled voter bill would address barriers to voters for people with a range of disabilities, such as visual or fine motor skills.

“It’s time that we start understanding that disability rights are civil rights and they are human rights,” said Barbara L’Italien, executive director of the Disability Law Center.

The center checked various polling centers during last year’s presidential election and found barriers, including inadequate handicap parking, inaccessible or unusable ramps and too heavy doors, she said.

Inside some polling places machines designed for people with visual disabilities, limited fine motor skills or who might not be able to fill out the typical ballot, were often not present or not functioning properly. All of these barriers, L’Italien said, prevent voters with disabilities from exercising their right to vote.

Advocates said it is essential that the legislators pass the bills.

“The three proposed bills, if passed into law, would remove barriers to voting and ensure equity in elections and strengthen access to the ballot,” said Traci Griffith, racial justice director for the ACLU of Massachusetts. “As proponents of same day voter registration, we believe that no eligible voter should be turned away at the polls due to an error or out
of date voter registration.”

Currently, Washington, D.C. and 22 states, including Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont have some form of same day registration, officials said.

State Representative Carmine Gentile, a Democrat from Sudbury, filed the same day registration bill.

“Evidence shows that same day voting increases the number of votes any given election from three to 11 percent. Black and Latino turnout increases two to 17 percent,” he said.

Not all of his colleagues agree.

House Majority Leader Michael J. Moran of Brighton said same day voting is not necessary because the state already has an accessible system.

“A few years ago, the House voted to make vote by mail permanent and expand early voting options. The House also voted to push the registration deadline back in order to ensure that eligible residents are able to register to vote up to 10 days before any election,” Moran said in a statement to the Globe. “In addition to these legislative
reforms, eligible voters are automatically registered to vote when they engage in transactions with the RMV, MassHealth and the Health Connector – and they also have the option to register online, by mail or in person. Voters in Massachusetts have ample
opportunities to engage in the democratic process.”