News Clips

Pam Wilmot, Common Cause MA’s executive director, agrees that the state should mail every voter a ballot, and make physical polling places as safe as possible. In addition, she says, the state’s approach to voter registration needs to be revisited.

Pam Wilmot, director of Common Cause Massachusetts, said having a vote-by-mail option would not preclude people from voting in person on Election Day. "If we prepare in advance and have 70-80 percent of our voters voting by mail there is an ability, with expanded early voting especially, to have a slighly different model of in-person voting," Wilmot said.

Gov. Charlie Baker signed legislation allowing cities and towns to postpone municipal elections scheduled for this spring because of the coronavirus pandemic, but there are already calls for Beacon Hill to consider additional steps.

"Yesterday’s bill is a strong first step. However, there is no guarantee that the coronavirus crisis will have receded by September 1, when Massachusetts state primaries are scheduled, or even for the November elections,” a press release attributed to seven voting rights groups read.“

Several local entities have been working diligently to make sure as many people as possible in Massachusetts are aware of and respond to the census. MassCounts, a coalition comprising organizations like Massachusetts Voter Table, MIRA Coalition, Chelsea Collaborative, Mass Equity Fund, Common Cause Massachusetts, MassVote, the Chinese Progressive Association, works with community organizations to train and mobilize trusted leaders to share why the 2020 Census is safe, easy and important.

Advocates say the coronavirus outbreak could make it difficult for some people to keep their voter registrations up to date.