130+ Member Organizations of the Safe Elections Network Launch Online Platform to Educate and Involve Voters in Fall Elections

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BOSTON– The Safe Elections Network has launched an online platform, safeelectionsma.org, to serve as a single source for Massachusetts voters for: information on casting a ballot safely in the upcoming elections; voter education; election protection efforts and more.

The Network – a project of the Election Modernization Coalition – came together last spring to address the clear and urgent challenges that the pandemic poses to our fall elections. The Network advocated for swift reform – including expanded mail voting options, early voting, central processing of ballots, and a reduced registration deadline – in legislation that was signed into law by Governor Baker on July 7.

“As voting rights advocates concerned especially with ballot access for our historically underserved communities, we knew the work did not stop at legislation,” said Beth Huang, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Voter Table. “Even as we were advocating with the legislature, we were laying the groundwork for a robust public education program. This website is a critical piece of that, and we hope that it is shared broadly.”

The website includes resources on how to vote by mail, key deadlines, and information on in-person voting options, and provides an overview of the changes in place for our fall elections. It is also a resource for those Bay Staters who want to get actively involved in election work.

“We have received an outpouring of interest from folks across this state who want to get involved with protecting access to the ballot and the integrity of our elections,” said Kristina Mensik, Assistant Director of Common Cause Massachusetts. “As I see it, there are three main ways to get involved: help educate voters by joining phone banks or sharing social media; volunteer to do election protection – whether social media monitoring or socially-distant poll monitoring; or sign up if you’re able to be a poll worker. To that end, we’ve developed a student poll worker recruitment and training program, which we will launch on Monday. But we’re excited to offer this platform, safeelectionsma.org, as the starting point for individuals and organizations hoping to get involved in the Bay State’s elections.”

Massachusetts will hold a primary election Sept. 1, and the general election is Nov. 3.