{"id":434,"date":"2021-03-09T16:43:16","date_gmt":"2021-03-09T16:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/work\/the-votes-act\/"},"modified":"2024-08-02T17:20:26","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T21:20:26","slug":"the-votes-act","status":"publish","type":"work","link":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/work\/the-votes-act\/","title":{"rendered":"The VOTES Act"},"template":"","class_list":["post-434","work","type-work","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"details":{"summary":"An Act Fostering Voting Opportunities, Trust, Equity, and Security or the VOTES Act, was the largest expansion of voting access in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in years.","featured_image":"","work_type":false,"related_issues":[109,462],"location":24},"sidebar":{"helper_enable_sidebar":false,"helper_media_contact":{"heading":"Media Contact","manually_enter_person":false,"person":"","name":"","role":"","phone":"","email":""},"helper_links_downloads":{"heading":"Links & Downloads","links":null}},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"In 2022, Governor Baker signed the VOTES Act<\/a> into law, expanding access to the ballot in Massachusetts.\r\n\r\nThe bill, An Act Fostering Voting Opportunities, Trust, Equity, and Security or the VOTES Act, was the largest expansion of voting access in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in years.\r\n\r\nThe VOTES Act made several permanent changes to Massachusetts\u2019 election laws, including: allowing voters to vote by mail without an excuse; expanding early voting options; making sure that eligible voters who are incarcerated are able to request a mail ballot and vote; ensuring that the Commonwealth joins the Electronic Registration Information Center<\/a> (ERIC) to keep voter registration rolls up-to-date; and more. The new law also reduced the voter registration deadline prior to an election from twenty days to ten.\r\n\r\nThe VOTES Act, sponsored by state Representative John Lawn and Senator Cindy Creem, won strong support from the Massachusetts Election Modernization Coalition, a coalition of advocacy organizations working to modernize the Commonwealth\u2019s election laws."}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"

The VOTES Act built more equitable, accessible, and secure elections in Massachusetts.<\/h2>\r\nOur democracy works best when everyone can make their voice heard, and hold government accountable. The VOTES Act included:<\/span>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  • Mail-in voting<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  • Expanded early voting options<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  • Jail-based voting reforms<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  • Corrected Automatic Voter Registration<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  • A deadline to implement the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nTogether, these reforms improved equity and access to the ballot for all eligible voters, strengthened our elections infrastructure, and built more secure elections.<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n "}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"

    Endorsements<\/h2>\r\nThe VOTES Act received broad support by statewide and local organizations, labor unions, businesses, faith-based groups and more. See the full list:\r\n

    ACLU MA<\/h6>\r\n
    Action for Equity<\/h6>\r\n
    Amalgamated Bank<\/h6>\r\n
    Anti-Defamation League (ADL) New England<\/h6>\r\n
    American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts<\/h6>\r\n
    American Promise<\/h6>\r\n
    Amplify Latinx<\/h6>\r\n
    Arise for Social Justice<\/h6>\r\n
    Black Boston COVID19 Coalition<\/h6>\r\n
    Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA)<\/h6>\r\n
    Black Economic Justice Institute<\/h6>\r\n
    Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston, Inc.<\/h6>\r\n
    Boston Ten Point Coalition<\/h6>\r\n
    Boston Ujima Project<\/h6>\r\n
    Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association<\/h6>\r\n
    College Bound Dorchester<\/h6>\r\n
    Common Cause Massachusetts<\/h6>\r\n
    City Life \/ Vida Urbana<\/h6>\r\n
    City Mission, Inc.<\/h6>\r\n
    Coalition for a Better Acre<\/h6>\r\n
    Coalition for Social Justice<\/h6>\r\n
    Codman Square NDC<\/h6>\r\n
    College Bound Dorchester<\/h6>\r\n
    Community Action Works Campaigns<\/h6>\r\n
    Conservation Law Foundation<\/h6>\r\n
    Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative<\/h6>\r\n
    Edgartown Democratic Town Committee<\/h6>\r\n
    Environmental League of Massachusetts<\/h6>\r\n
    Equal Citizens Forward MA<\/h6>\r\n
    Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution<\/h6>\r\n
    Freedom House<\/h6>\r\n
    Garrison Trotter Neighborhood Association<\/h6>\r\n
    Generation Citizen<\/h6>\r\n
    Greater Boston Nazarene Compassionate Center Inc.<\/h6>\r\n
    Greater Boston Section-National Council of Negro Women<\/h6>\r\n
    GSM Labor Council<\/h6>\r\n
    Immigrants' Assistance Center, Inc. (IAC)<\/h6>\r\n
    Indivisible Martha's Vineyard<\/h6>\r\n
    Indivisible Massachusetts Coalition<\/h6>\r\n
    Indivisible Outer Cape<\/h6>\r\n
    iVOTE<\/h6>\r\n
    Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston<\/h6>\r\n
    Jetpac Resource Center<\/h6>\r\n
    Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA)<\/h6>\r\n
    La Colaborativa<\/h6>\r\n
    La Comunidad, Inc.<\/h6>\r\n
    Lawrence Partnership<\/h6>\r\n
    Lawyers for Civil Rights<\/h6>\r\n
    Lift Every Vote<\/h6>\r\n
    League of Women Voters MA<\/h6>\r\n
    Lowell Votes<\/h6>\r\n
    Madison Park Development Corporation<\/h6>\r\n
    MAPS-Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers<\/h6>\r\n
    Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants<\/h6>\r\n
    Mass Equality<\/h6>\r\n
    Mass NOW<\/h6>\r\n
    Mass. Assoc. of Community Development Corporations<\/h6>\r\n
    Massachusetts Against Solitary Confinement<\/h6>\r\n
    Massachusetts Communities Action Network<\/h6>\r\n
    Massachusetts Law Reform Institute<\/h6>\r\n
    Massachusetts Peace Action<\/h6>\r\n
    Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition<\/h6>\r\n
    MASSCreative<\/h6>\r\n
    MASSPIRG<\/h6>\r\n
    MASSPIRG Students<\/h6>\r\n
    MassVOTE<\/h6>\r\n
    Massachusetts Voter Table<\/h6>\r\n
    Microsoft<\/h6>\r\n
    MITvote<\/h6>\r\n
    More Than Words<\/h6>\r\n
    NAACP-Boston Branch<\/h6>\r\n
    Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts<\/h6>\r\n
    Next Leadership Development Corporation<\/h6>\r\n
    Nonprofit Vote<\/h6>\r\n
    Planned Parenthood MA<\/h6>\r\n
    Pleasant Hill Baptist Church<\/h6>\r\n
    Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts<\/h6>\r\n
    Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts<\/h6>\r\n
    Progressive Massachusetts<\/h6>\r\n
    Progressives for Democracy in America<\/h6>\r\n
    Project R.I.G.H.T.<\/h6>\r\n
    Providers\u2019 Council- CareVote<\/h6>\r\n
    Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts<\/h6>\r\n
    Quincy Geneva New Vision CDC<\/h6>\r\n
    Racial Justice Rising<\/h6>\r\n
    Reclaim Our Democracy<\/h6>\r\n
    Roca Inc.<\/h6>\r\n
    Rosie's Place<\/h6>\r\n
    Salesforce<\/h6>\r\n
    SEIU 1199<\/h6>\r\n
    Shana Bryant Consulting Services<\/h6>\r\n
    Small Planet Institute<\/h6>\r\n
    Sunrise Boston<\/h6>\r\n
    The Boston Foundation<\/h6>\r\n
    The Good Governance Project - BC Law<\/h6>\r\n
    The Greater Boston Interfaith Organization<\/h6>\r\n
    The Real Cost of Prisons Project<\/h6>\r\n
    The Women's Pipeline for Change<\/h6>\r\n
    Transformative Culture Project<\/h6>\r\n
    Union of Minority Neighborhoods<\/h6>\r\n
    Unitarian Universalist Mass Action<\/h6>\r\n
    UTEC Inc.<\/h6>\r\n
    VOTE New Bedford<\/h6>\r\n
    Voter Choice Massachusetts<\/h6>\r\n
    Worcester Interfaith<\/h6>\r\n
    Yes - Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance<\/h6>\r\n
    Young Democrats of Massachusetts<\/h6>\r\n
    YWCA Malden<\/h6>\r\n
    YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts<\/h6>\r\n
    <\/h6>\r\n "}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_add_component","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_add_component":null},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_take_action","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_take_action":{"heading":"Take Action","button_text":"","manually_curate":false,"action":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_banner","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_banner":{"use_donate_banner":true,"title":"Title [highlight]with highlighting[\/highlight] and additional text.","button":null,"image":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_related_articles","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_related_articles":{"heading":"Updates","button_text":"See all Related Articles","manually_curate":false,"articles":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_resources","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_resources":{"heading":"Related Resources","button_text":"See all Related Resources","manually_curate":false,"resource":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_press","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_press":{"heading":"Press","button_text":"","manually_curate":false,"press":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_events","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_events":{"heading":"Events"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_our_experts","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_our_experts":{"heading":"","manually_curate":false,"people":null}}]},"yoast_head":"\nThe VOTES Act - Common Cause Massachusetts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/work\/the-votes-act\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The VOTES Act\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/work\/the-votes-act\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Common Cause Massachusetts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-02T21:20:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/common-cause-share-image.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/work\/the-votes-act\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/massachusetts\/work\/the-votes-act\/\",\"name\":\"The VOTES Act - 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