Center for Public Integrity: Massachusetts widens early and mail voting, but local disparities persist
“In the past, some cities have had multiple locations and tried to engage voters where they’re at, while other towns have smaller staff and differing capacity,” said Geoff Foster, executive director at Common Cause Massachusetts. “Because these things vary across the state, voters need to check in with their local city clerks.”
Left out of the VOTES Act was something advocates say could remove a major barrier for lower-income people in Massachusetts: same-day voter registration.
“Lower-income voters and voters of color are oftentimes in areas with higher rates of renters, and folks might live in the same municipality but move from one precinct to another without knowing they have to update that when they move,” Foster said.
These voters may arrive to cast their ballots on Election Day, only to be turned away.
“They might find they’re inactive voters or they went to the wrong location,” Foster said. “We consider same-day registration unfinished business.”