CommonWealth: Election Day voter registration is good for democracy

PM Issues Committee chair Jonathan Cohn penned an editorial for CommonWealth in honor of National Voter Registration Day today:

TODAY — THE FOURTH Tuesday of September—is National Voter Registration Day. It’s also the day that Boston voters will go to the polls for hotly contested preliminary elections for City Council.

If the past is any guide, turnout will be low (we’ll be lucky if it passes 10 percent), a product of both apathy and design.

We all have work to do to counter the apathy that drives low voter participation and to build a stronger civic culture. However, that’s a multi-year, ongoing process. Eliminating the barriers that exist by design is much simpler.

Take, for example, our 20-day voter registration cutoff date….

Jonathan Cohn

House, Senate Pass Consensus Economic Development Bill

November 15, 2024 / Roll Call

Yesterday, the House and Senate passed their conferenced versions of the economic development bill, which had been stalled in negotiations since July. The bill passed easily, 39 to 1 in

Senate, House Pass Consensus Climate Legislation

November 15, 2024 / Roll Call

Thanks to the pressure of activists throughout the summer and fall, the House and Senate came to an agreement recently about climate legislation. Although the formal period of the legislative

Rolling Up Our Sleeves

November 8, 2024 / Elections

Tuesday was a difficult day. So many of us put countless hours into organizing for a brighter future, only to face bleak national election results. If you have spent the

Behind Closed Doors: What’s Wrong with the MA State House

October 29, 2024 / Blog

By Eileen Ryan, Progressive Watertown On Sunday, October 27th, Progressive Watertown hosted a forum, “Behind Closed Doors: What’s Wrong with the MA State House.” The impetus for the forum was

PM in the News: Ballot Questions

October 23, 2024 / Elections

Tavishi Chattopadhyay, “Question 2 proposes removal of MCAS, sparks debate over equity for students,” The Daily Free Press, October 20, 2024. Jonathan Cohn, policy director at Progressive Massachusetts, a grassroots

Progressive Watertown: “Stewart Udall and the Politics of Beauty”

October 15, 2024 / Blog

by Susan Falkoff, Progressive Watertown Progressive Watertown was proud to sponsor a screening of the film “Stewart Udall and the Politics of Beauty” on October 10. This film tells the

This November, VOTE YES

October 15, 2024 / Elections

After polling our members, we are proud to endorse a YES vote on all five questions. Each question received over 85% support from our members. VOTE YES on Question 1

PM in the News: Progressives make the case for going beyond housing bond bill

October 3, 2024 / PM in the News

Ella Adams and Eric Convey, “Progressives make the case for going beyond housing bond bill,” MASSterList, October 3, 2024. What exactly do progressives think can help address the state’s 200,000-unit

Wanted: Strong Climate Legislation Before the Year Is Over

October 3, 2024 / Action Alerts

Although the Legislature left formal session with much work undone on August 1st, the 193rd session of the Legislature is not over for a few more months. Your legislators still

100+ Climate Organizations: climate bill requirements

October 2, 2024 / Blog

10/2024 To Governor Healey and the 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, RE: A Robust Climate Bill The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has made a commitment to environmental justice