Today is National Voter Registration Day. It’s also Election Day for cities like Boston, Chelsea, Lawrence, Lowell, and Taunton.
With our 20-day voter registration cutoff, the last day to register, or update your registration, was all the way back in the beginning of September. By the time that a graduate in a new apartment, a young family seeking more affordable rent or more space, or a retiree looking to downsize may have found out that an election was even happening, they risked being shut out of participation.
That’s neither just nor necessary.
Other states, including many of our neighbors, have realized this problem and eliminated a registration cutoff altogether. Maine has allowed eligible voters to register on Election Day since 1973. New Hampshire has since 1996. And Connecticut and Vermont eliminated their registration cutoff dates more recently.
Election Day Registration helps leads to more accurate voting rolls, better experiences at the polls, and even increased turnout. It’s a win-win all around.
Look up your state representative and state senator here to find their contact information and find out whether they’re already on board.
And then make a quick call or send a quick email. Here’s a sample:
Dear Legislator,
As voting rights are under attack in other states, we need to strengthen the right to vote here at home. That means making sure that all eligible voters who want to cast a ballot on Election Day are able to participate.
Massachusetts’s 20-day registration deadline, however, denies thousands of eligible voters the right to vote. It is arbitrary, unjust, and unnecessary, and our neighbors in Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Vermont have already done away with their voter registration deadlines.
I urge you to support legislation bringing Election Day Registration to Massachusetts (S.396/H.685).
Thank you,
[Your name]
Our democracy is strongest when everyone is able and empowered to participate. Let’s make that happen.