Marisol Santiago, our Policy and Organizing Director, upheld our commitment to civic engagement, enriching a recent conversation held at Brandeis University called "Make Your Vote Count." The discussion also included Professor Zachary Albert of Brandeis University and Aaron Sherb of Common Cause.
Professor Melissa Stimell, the academic program director of ENACT (Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation), the main sponsor of the event introduced the panel of speakers. Marisol discussed the critical issues affecting marginalized communities and our voting rights. She addressed several key issues that we boldly stand by:
Removing Barriers to Voting Rights for Marginalized Communities
Adoption of The VOTES Act in Massachusetts
The Important Role of Public Education and Outreach
The event also served as a platform to discuss our legislative priorities, which are crucial for building equitable, accessible, and secure elections. These priorities include:
The Votes Act, which aims to make the successful 2020 election reforms permanent, enhancing voter accessibility and security.
Re-Precinct Boston and Same Day Registration: This initiative ensures that no eligible voter is turned away due to outdated registration, allowing registration updates on Election Day or early voting days.
Decoupling Voter Registration from Municipal Census: This change will prevent voters from being dropped from the voting register due to non-response to the municipal census, maintaining the census for data collection and jury selections.
Uniform Mail and Absentee Voting Forms & Ballots: Following the Lyons V. Secretary of Commonwealth decision, this aims to streamline vote-by-mail and absentee voting, reducing public confusion and administrative workload.
Strengthening Accessible Polling Location Oversight: This requires regular inspection of polling places to ensure compliance with accessibility laws and enforcement measures for non-compliance.