BOSTON (WHDH) - Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin on Tuesday unveiled a new bill that would allow registered voters to cast their ballots by mail in any election, in addition to allowing residents casting their ballots in person to register to vote at the polls.
Galvin says his bill would allow registered voters to apply to vote by mail in any primary or election, as was allowed for the 2020 state primaries and November election due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The ability to vote by mail last year helped Massachusetts break past voter turnout records, Galvin noted.
“What we saw last year was that voting by mail was enormously popular,” Galvin said in a news release. “While voting by mail may not always be used to the same extent at the pandemic finally ends, my office has heard from many voters who have made it clear that they want this option to remain available for all future elections.”
Galvin also hopes to bring same-day voter registration to Massachusetts, allowing voters who need to register to vote or update their information the ability to do so on Election Day before casting a ballot. Current state law requires voters to be registered at least 20 days before Election Day in order to vote.
“As I have said for several years, I believe that with the appropriate technological safeguards in place, we can implement same-day voter registration in a convenient and secure manner, as several of our neighboring states have done,” Galvin added.
The bill would also expand in-person early voting options, guaranteeing weekend voting in statewide elections and primaries, with early voting periods spanning 14 days for general elections and 7 days for primaries.
Cities and towns would also be permitted to offer early voting for local elections if the bill is approved.
Galvin says he has already filed the bill.
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