Massachusetts House debates voting rights legislation

“What this report would hopefully do is identity some of those challenges” including staffing levels and training, Moran said, pointing out the state has more than 1,200 polling locations and nearly 400 early voting spots.

The voting rights bill aims to write into Massachusetts law a series of early voting options that were temporarily adopted during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

The legislation would allow for the broad use of voting by mail and expand in-person early voting options. Communities would be required to allow early voting during business hours and all weekends during the early voting period.

The bill would also shorten the time before an election during which a resident can register to vote, from 20 days to 10, and mandate that incarcerated people be informed about their voting rights.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley called for the House to allow same-day voter registration, saying in a press release that “arbitrary voter registration deadlines should not be a barrier to exercising the right to vote.”

Democratic Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin, whose office oversees elections, also supports the change. The Massachusetts Town Clerks’ Association isn’t in favor but supports other elements of the legislation.