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July 19, 2021: Over the next two weeks, the state's Special Joint Committee on Redistricting will hold 10 hearings. These hearings, which include both region-based and language-based, will allow residents to make clear their needs, interests, and lived experiences to policymakers. In doing so, residents will help create a democracy that is as responsive to and reflective of the people as possible. The hearings to take place are: 1) July 19, 12 pm: Congressional District 4 (Rep. Jake Auchincloss) 2) July 20, 4 pm: Mandarin in-language hearing 3) July 20, 6 pm: Cantonese in-language hearing 4) July 23, 12 pm: Spanish in-language hearing 5) July 26, 2 pm: Portuguese in-language hearing 6) July 26, 5 pm: Cape Verdean Creole in-language hearing 7) July 27, 12 pm: Vietnamese in-language hearing 8) July 27, 2 pm: Haitian Creole in-language hearing 9) July 27, 4 pm: Khmer in-language hearing 10) July 29, 5 pm: Congressional District 9 (Rep. Bill Keating) If you are a member of any of these communities, or if you have an interest in any of these committees, we strongly encourage you to make your voice heard. You may either submit written testimony, or offer oral testimony via Zoom during the hearing. No matter how you make your voice heard, it's crucial that you do: these hearings will play a large part in deciding what your community looks like for the next 10 years. Your community, and the state more broadly, cannot afford to see you go ignored. If you require any assistance in drafting testimony, or if you have any questions, contact us at info@massvote.org. We also ask that you share this information with anyone you believe may be interested.

On July 10, 2021, we were featured in Commonwealth Magazine discussing redistricting and reprecincting. Read the piece here.

On July 9, 2021, we were featured in the Boston Globe on issues like voting by mail and early voting. Read the story here.

On July 1, 2021, we were featured in State House News Service discussing the Supreme Court's decision in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee. Read it here.

July 1, 2021: Today the United States Supreme Court ruled in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee that Arizona’s restrictive voting law did not violate Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Why does this matter? The Supreme Court upheld a discriminatory voting law from Arizona, House Bill 2023, that may appear innocent on the surface, but is anything but. It is in clear violation of Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination in the voting process. For example, HB2023 prevents ballots cast in the incorrect precinct from being counted at all. While this may seem to have no racial bias, it actually does, since Black, Hispanic, and Native American voters are twice as likely to have their ballots tossed out as white voters. Additionally, some Arizona counties change as many as 40% of their polling places before elections, making it more confusing for voters to understand where they are actually supposed to vote. HB2023 also dramatically narrows the scope of who can deliver mail ballots. Instead of allowing anyone to deliver mail ballots for voters, the law only allows family members, household members, or caregivers to do so. Again, while this may appear an innocent move, it is not. This is because Native Americans have traditionally relied on community-wide ballot collection efforts to ultimately cast mail ballots. They have done so because only 18% of Native Americans in rural Arizonan counties possess reliable access to mail service, while 86% of white residents possess reliable service. Many Native Americans in Arizona live 45 minutes to 2 hours away from reliable mail service. As a result, ballot collection within Native American communities, like the Navajo Nation, was a traditional practice to ensure that these voters could have their voices heard. At the same time, no voter fraud was ever proven to have occurred during this process. These measures are in clear violation of the Voting Rights Act – a federal piece of legislation meant to safeguard voting rights across the country. Yet they will persist in Arizona, just as they will persist in Georgia, Montana, Florida, and many more states that implement restrictive voting measures in light of the 2020 elections. With voting rights under attack nation-wide, Massachusetts must stand strong by making the voting process as accessible and inclusive as possible, especially for Black and brown, low-income, immigrant, and young voters. We must bring permanent mail-in voting, expanded early voting, and same day voter registration to Massachusetts by passing the VOTES Act. We must make public transit free on election day by passing the FARE Act. We must overcome the de facto disenfranchisement that eligible incarcerated voters currently face by passing serious jail-based voting reforms. And we must ensure that the legislative redistricting process is as empowering, inclusive, and accurate as possible. All of these reforms are essential to ensuring that those traditionally left out of the electoral process are instead empowered by the electoral process. With these reforms, Massachusetts may not only solidify its support for expanding voting rights, but it may do right by its voters in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, and so many other communities that have long gone underserved.

June 29, 2021: Tomorrow, June 30th, we'll be joining our partners in the Democracy Behind Bars coalition for a critical event: Democracy Denied: A Town Hall Discussion on Incarceration & Political Power in Massachusetts. This event, which will discuss the importance of expanding ballot access for eligible incarcerated individuals, will feature key speakers, including NFL superstars and racial justice advocates Jason and Devin McCourty. It will also spotlight state Senator Adam Hinds and state Representative Liz Miranda. But why does this issue matter? As you probably know, closing the voter turnout gap is one of our primary objectives at MassVOTE. We seek to boost voter turnout rates in traditionally low turnout, underserved communities so community members may drive the change they seek. One of these communities is relatively small in size and goes virtually unmentioned in most conversations around voting rights. Yet this community faces numerous, sizable barriers to the polls that make voting virtually impossible. The community: eligible incarcerated voters. Currently in Massachusetts, those incarcerated pretrial or on non-felony convictions still have the right to vote. We estimate this amounts to 5,000-7,000 people. But even though eligible incarcerated voters have this right, they are rarely allowed to practice it. For example, jail officials routinely prevent incarcerated individuals from receiving the necessary election-related materials, like absentee ballots and applications. We aim to change that. Over the past few months, we've been promoting "An Act to Protect the Voting Rights of Eligible Incarcerated People" (H.836 and S.474). This bill would ensure that eligible incarcerated individuals have expanded, equitable access to the polls. We'll be promoting the bill at tomorrow night's town hall, and we hope to see you there. Register now! - All of us at MassVOTE

On May 27th, 2021, we were featured in the Bay State Banner in support of the VOTES Act (H.805 and S.459). You can read the full story here.

On June 7, 2021, we were featured in the State House News Service, where we discussed issues like redistricting and reprecincting. You can read the full story here.

On Thursday, June 10, we were featured in the Boston Globe discussing the importance of the redistricting process. You can read the full story here.

On Friday, June 11, we spoke to 22 News on the state House of Representatives vote to make mail-in voting and early in-person voting permanent. Watch it now.

On June 19, 2021, we were featured discussing the issue of reprecincting in the Boston Globe. You can read the full story here.

On June 22, 2021, we were featured on NBC 10 Boston, where we discussed the For the People Act and what it would mean for voters across the country. Watch it here.

On June 28, 2021, we spoke to 22 News in Western Mass on the importance of extending voting reforms from last year, like mail-in voting and early in-person voting, through to our local elections. Watch the news story now.

June 22, 2021: Once more, we need your support. This week, the state's Joint Committee on Election Laws will be considering a number of bills related to local elections. While many of the bills under consideration would help strengthen our state's democracy, we want to highlight one in particular: H.843, An Act Ensuring Municipal Power Over Whether Elections Are Reformed. H.843 would take two powerful steps to empower voters. First, it would make Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) a local option for all municipal elections. Second, it would lower the voting age to 16 for all municipal elections. Used in dozens of communities nationwide - including here in Massachusetts - RCV is proven to possess many positives for our democracy. These include ensuring majority support, promoting diverse candidates, increasing voter choice and competition, and increasing voter turnout. Even though RCV unfortunately failed to pass in last year's statewide ballot initiative, dozens of communities, including Boston, Lowell, and Lawrence, did vote in favor of the reform. H.843 would allow communities like these to embrace their preference and implement RCV in their local elections. Those that don't want to implement RCV, meanwhile, don't have to: the local option allows both sides to do as they see fit. Lowering the voting age to 16 in municipal elections is also of crucial importance. While some may dismiss this idea, believing 16 year old's too young and immature to vote, scholarly research refutes this generalization. Furthermore, 16 year old's in Massachusetts already work, drive, and pay taxes. We entrust them with immense responsibility, and should respect that responsibility by lowering the voting age to 16. Doing so would lead to numerous benefits, such as getting young people more involved in the voting process at a younger age, making them more likely to vote moving forward. A handful of US communities already practice this policy, so it's time that Massachusetts catch up. Help us make these reforms a reality: tell the state's Joint Committee on Election Laws to support H.843. You can submit your statements of support to Michaela.Gaziano@masenate.gov and Sean.Getchell@mahouse.gov. You can also learn more here. Comments are due by this Friday, June 25th at 3 PM, so be sure to have them in by then. If you require assistance, or have any questions, simply reply to this email, or contact apsilakis@massvote.org. Thank you, - All of us at MassVOTE

On June 18, 2021, our letter to the editor was featured in The Item, which you can read here.

June 11, 2021: Once more, we need your support. On Thursday, we asked you to contact your state representatives in regards to H.3863: An Act Relative to Reprecincting. We believed the bill essential to ensuring that the state conduct the most equitable and inclusive redistricting process possible, and we believe it now. Fortunately, the bill passed the House by the wide margin of 131-29. Now the bill moves to the Senate for consideration. However, opposition for the bill is growing, and Senate support is beginning to waver. We must not let this stand: tell your state senator to support H.3863 NOW! Remind your senator that this bill is crucial to guaranteeing that the state has enough time to conduct the redistricting process. Without it, the state may not only run up against constitutionally-mandated deadlines, but it may also impede their ability to draw fair, accurate legislative districts. Such a blunder would disproportionately and unjustly impact Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), low-income, and immigrant communities. There's no time to waste: urge your state senator to back H.3863 NOW! - All of us at MassVOTE

June 10, 2021 We need your help. Right now, legislators on Beacon Hill are considering a policy of paramount importance: H.3863 - An Act Relative to Reprecincting. It's crucial that Beacon Hill pass this policy as swiftly as possible. Why? Due to delays caused by the COVID19 pandemic and the previous U.S. presidential administration, Massachusetts is set to receive its population data from the U.S. Census Bureau five to six months later than usual. As a result, the state will have even less time than normal to complete key processes like redistricting and reprecincting. This impacts what state representative, state senate, Governor's Council, and Congressional districts will look like. H.3863 will help address this crisis by ensuring that the state has the necessary means to complete the redistricting and reprecincting processes in a timely manner. It will mandate the state perform redistricting before reprecincting, which would be a first for Massachusetts, but is actually the norm across the country. It would allow the state to create political districts using census blocks: the most nuanced, accurate means of calculating population. This would further empower the state to create majority Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and immigrant districts, making our democracy even more accessible and inclusive. There's no time to waste: tell your state representative and state senator to support H.3863 NOW! This reform will ensure the state has the means to make this redistricting process the most empowering one yet. It will also set the standard for how the state should conduct redistricting moving forward. - All of us at MassVOTE

June 7, 2021 Newsletter We need your support. To help pass the reforms we've been fighting for this year, like the VOTES Act and the FARE Act, we must maximize public support. We must reach as many voters and contact as many legislators as possible. We must make clear that countless individuals support making our democracy as accessible and inclusive as possible. To do that, though, we need your support. We encourage you to take part in one of the many volunteer opportunities scheduled for the weeks and months ahead. They include... 1) Sign up for a phone bank. Throughout the summer, we're co-hosting phone banks in support of the VOTES Act. We'll be calling individuals to encourage them to reach out to their own state legislators in support of the policy. The phone banks take place every Tuesday and Thursday from 11 AM to 1:30 PM. Prior to making calls, we'll walk you through how phone banking works, your script, and everything else you need to know. You can sign up here. 2) Testify at an upcoming redistricting hearing. The redistricting process is a critical element of our democracy. Every 10 years, the state reviews the results of the U.S. Census to redraw the local, state, and federal political boundaries. During this process, it's essential that underserved communities, like Black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) and immigrant communities, receive the maximum amount of representation possible. Over the next few months, you'll have the opportunity to speak directly with state legislators and tell them why redistricting matters to you. The state's redistricting committee will hold four hearings throughout June and July based around congressional districts. If you live in one of these districts, you should testify at the hearing to make sure that your thoughts on your own community are heard. Below are the details for the four scheduled hearings. Tuesday, June 8th at 12 Noon - Massachusetts Eighth Congressional District, which includes cities like Quincy, Brockton, and parts of Boston - sign up here. Monday, June 21st at 6 PM - Massachusetts First Congressional District, which includes cities like Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, and Pittsfield - sign up here. Thursday, July 8th at 6 PM - Massachusetts Third Congressional District, which includes cities like Lowell, Lawrence, and Fitchburg - sign up here. Monday, July 18th at 12 Noon - Massachusetts Fourth Congressional District, which includes cities like Brookline, Newton, Taunton, and parts of Fall River - learn more here. 3) Contact your state legislators. If these scheduled events don't work for you, you can still advocate for voting rights on your own time. You can do this by contacting your state legislators and urging them to support a number of reforms. These include the VOTES Act, the FARE Act, and jail-based voting reform. If you're interested in reaching out to your legislators, you can find them here. - All of us at MassVOTE