Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, released the following statement in response:
“With nationwide assaults on voting rights and upcoming elections in November, our democracy can’t be taken for granted; it must be protected and strengthened, not just in Congress but in every state. Passage of the VOTES Act in the Massachusetts House represents important progress, and we are grateful that state lawmakers adopted reforms—from widespread mail-in voting to improved access for eligible incarcerated voters—that will address barriers to the ballot and expand the hard-won right to vote.
“Massachusetts should do as much as possible to make our democracy more accessible and equitable. Though the House failed to adopt same day registration in their vote today, we encourage lawmakers to include it when the final bill is negotiated. Same day registration is a commonsense reform that has been tested in 20 other states and improves equity and racial justice in voting access. Massachusetts should restore faith in our democracy and move us closer to an electoral system representative of all Bay Staters by enacting the most robust reforms possible.”
For more information about ACLU of Massachusetts, go to: https://www.aclum.org/
