Search Results

On “Super Tuesday” 14 states, representing 40% of the U.S. population, will head to the polls for the presidential primary. Voting rights groups will be watching the polls next week to guard against widespread voting irregularities. Cheryl Crawford from MassVote and Tanisha Sullivan, President of Boston NAACP, provide vital information to voters before they head to the polls. Check out the interview here!

By Matt Murphy | SHNS March 12, 2020 https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2020/03/12/galvin-virus-makes-online-census-responses-critical

The coronavirus pandemic is hitting all of us hard. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are fighting on the frontlines of the virus virtually non-stop. Employees across all sectors question how they will make the ensuing months’ rent or mortgage payments. To the people of Massachusetts, please know we are with you, working through this crisis day by day. As noted in our previous statement, we remain dedicated to fulfilling our mission. Promoting voting rights and voter education, especially amongst underrepresented communities, is key to ensuring our democracy remains robust during this uncertain, anxious time. To that end, we support the efforts made by Senate President Spilka, House Speaker DeLeo, and town and city clerks to postpone the four special state primary elections set to take place on March 31st. We applaud their willingness to postpone these special elections given the pressing, unprecedented circumstances we are facing. It will undoubtedly take a little time to put in place the measures necessary to ensure that everyone who wants to vote has the opportunity to do so. Holding the special elections on March 31st could very well put the health of poll workers and voters at a higher risk. The four districts holding special elections are the: Third Bristol Representative District Thirty-Seventh Middlesex Representative District Second Hampden & Hampshire Senatorial District Plymouth & Barnstable Senatorial District Postponing, even for a few weeks, would allow municipalities time to better adapt to the public health crisis, and provide voters the opportunity to adjust to their new daily lives. This would ultimately create a more safe and secure electoral environment, while fostering circumstances for higher voter turnout. MassVOTE does not take this stance lightly. We consider the circumstances around each election individually, and this by no means reflects our stance on the September MA State Primary or November General Election. We applaud a number of steps that have already been taken to ease burdens placed on voters, but this is not enough. We urge the Commonwealth to move the March 31 special state primary elections to a later date, serving the interests of voters, poll workers, and election officials in this time of crisis. Sincerely, Cheryl Clyburn Crawford Executive Director, MassVOTE

ByAlison Bosma abosma@wickedlocal.com Alison Bosma can be reached at 508-634-7582 or abosma@wickedlocal.com. Find her on Twitter at @AlisonBosma.

By Rob Fucci Posted Mar 26, 2020 at 4:33 PM https://concord.wickedlocal.com/news/20200326/coronavirus-forces-concord-to-postpone-annual-town-election-to-june-11

Here are some very helpful links to a variety of websites, sent by MassVOTE. Unemployment assistance: If you were recently laid off, or are out of work temporarily due to the COVID19 outbreak, you may be eligible for unemployment insurance. Learn more https://tinyurl.com/supkawd. Free meals and food resources: For those experiencing food insecurity, there are a number of resources available to you throughout the state. Children and youth in the southern part of the state may get free meals at https://tinyurl.com/t5enj9r. If your town is not located here, local schools and non-profits may still be providing free meals to those experiencing food insecurity. Additional information on free meals may be found at https://tinyurl.com/rozcpqq. Mental health resources: Alongside the physical and financial challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak, threats to our mental health and well-being are all too present as well. The Anxiety Center of America has numerous resources available to those struggling with mental illness. These include Expert Quick Tips for Managing Coronavirus Anxiety, How to Manage Anxiety and Isolation During Quarantine, and How to Talk to Your Anxious Child or Teen During Coronavirus. If you need someone to talk to, contact the Samaritans of Boston. Someone is always there to talk, be it day or night, or by call or text. Guidance for renters and homeowners: For renters, if you are unable to make rent because of lost income related to the COVID-19 outbreak, do not panic. Let your landlord know so that you may make the necessary arrangements. The Massachusetts Housing Court has halted evictions until April 21. For homeowners, if you are unable to pay your mortgage due to loss in income, contact your mortgage provider as soon as possible. A number of banks have posted their policies online. For those with government-backed mortgages, the Federal Housing Administration, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac have suspended foreclosures. For those with private lenders, there are mechanisms in place for borrowers experiencing an economic hardship that may enable you to reduce or suspend payments. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has a list of suggestions and resources that can be found on its website. Additionally, the CFPB also has a dedicated page on COVID-19 to help you stay financially secure during this pandemic. Free internet access: Those in need of internet access may acquire it for free at https://tinyurl.com/sy6j94r. What’s an essential business? Recently, Gov. Baker ordered the closing of all non-essential businesses and organizations. If you are wondering what exactly an “essential” business is, you can double-check at https://tinyurl.com/rwcf5ap. Non-essential businesses and organizations are encouraged to continue operations remotely. However, if you believe that your business or organizations is essential, you may make your request at https://tinyurl.com/rwcf5ap. https://randolph.wickedlocal.com/news/20200326/helpful-list-of-coronavirus-food-mental-health-housing-job-sites

By Cheryl Clyburn Crawford The Herald News verifies and reviews all letters to the editor we receive. The letters represent the views of the letter writers, not those of The Herald News. https://www.heraldnews.com/opinion/20200406/letter-why-fall-river-needs-to-get-2020-census-count-right

April 8, 2020 The original article can be found at http://tiny.cc/jkhrmz

By Alison King • Published April 15, 2020 This story originally appeared on NBC10 Boston. Find the original article and video here: https://bit.ly/34GIjwe

By Stephen Landry / slandry@thegardnernews.com This story originally appeared in The Gardner News. The original article can be found here: https://www.thegardnernews.com/news/20200420/as-gardner-preps-for-mayoral-elections-massvote-recommends-voting-changes-in-massachusetts

By Steph Solis | ssolis@masslive.com This story originally appeared on MassLIVE.com

By: CHRIS LISINSKI| This story originally appeared in the Lowell Sun

By: Julie Leonardi This story originally appeared on Fox 25

By WGBH News May 11, 2020 Now more than ever, it's good to know what you know -- and what you don't -- about voting this November. If you missed our live-streamed event on Election 2020 and how the pandemic may affect how you vote, you can catch it here: WGBH News Forum: How Will The Pandemic Affect Elections? How much have you learned about voting in Massachusetts? Take our quiz to find out. If you want to dive into the history of voting rights, check out this timeline from MassVote.

This letter to the editor was originally published in the Boston Globe. Check it out here. Key problem with remote vote: It cannot ensure a secret ballot Re “Universal mail-in voting could cost $30m in Nov., report says” (Metro, May 6): Matt Stout explains some consequences of voting by mail, and I write to add a crucial one. The all-mail vote cannot ensure a secret ballot, which is the cornerstone of democracy. Much mail voting takes place at the kitchen table, with family members filling out their ballots together. The elderly and disabled cast their votes alongside their caretakers. The more timid or needy or financially dependent family members, and those in nursing homes, will often follow the advice or expectations of those on whom they depend in order to gain sympathy or favor or to avoid conflict, intimidation, ridicule, or dislike. When voters expect their vote to be revealed, some of them vote differently. Even the slightest doubt about secrecy will affect their choices. Many people are unwilling to bear the potential social costs associated with having their private political preferences revealed. The United States, international organizations, and election observers have fought for decades around the world to make sure that women, dutiful sons and daughters, the elderly, and the disabled may all vote in privacy, without a husband or family head looking over their shoulder, because such a circumstance cancels the free and honest expression of a voter’s convictions. Voting online or by mail may increase turnout, but it skews the result. Jurij Toplak New York The writer, a visiting professor at Fordham University School of Law, has worked as an election law expert and election observer in 15 countries. It’s urgent that we understand and embrace voting by mail. In your May 1 editorial “State voting reforms can’t wait,” you helped bring to light the urgency of strengthening our elections during the coronavirus pandemic. In our policy brief, “Bracing Our Elections for COVID-19: Understanding Vote-By-Mail and How It Can Thrive in Massachusetts,” we strive to educate legislators, the media, and the general public on this very topic. Specifically, we aim to address four major areas of concern around voting by mail: accessibility, infrastructure, cost, and security. This final area — security — deserves emphasis. Voter fraud cases are extremely rare, and voting by mail would make the electoral process even more secure. States with a vote by mail use ballot-tracking systems that allow voters to follow their ballots throughout the mailing process. They also issue secure drop boxes, made of 1,000-pound, quarter-inch-thick steel, in which voters may deposit ballots. Their ballot counting centers also possess 24/7 video surveillance systems. Together, these tools balance transparency and security in the electoral process. In ensuring the security and constitutionality of our elections in light of COVID-19, it is important to recognize practicality, but we must recognize boldness, too. Now is not the time to hesitate; it is the time to act. Alex Psilakis Policy and Communications Manager MassVOTE

Hi Everyone, As you may know, volunteers from Voter Choice for Massachusetts, the Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) campaign, made history last fall when they submitted 111,000 certified signatures to the Secretary of the Commonwealth; the most ever by a Massachusetts ballot initiative campaign. MassVOTE supports RCV and we are proud to be part of this historic effort to give more voice to voters. In order to earn RCV a place on the November 3, 2020 ballot, the people must submit a second round of 13,374 valid signatures by June 17. The campaign kicked off the signature drive on May 6th and we need thousands of MA voters to sign the RCV petition electronically from home. We hope you will take a minute to sign the RCV petition right now by clicking here, and please share this URL with your friends and family (sign.voterchoice2020.org) on Facebook or via email. Nothing like this has ever been done before, but with your help we can make history together. If you would like to get involved to help safely gather signatures from your friends and neighbors, the campaign has the tools and training to support you. Please sign up here, or contact Brian Bass, Organizing Director for the RCV campaign, at brian@voterchoice2020.org. Sincerely, Cheryl Clyburn Crawford Executive Director

By Steph Solis | ssolis@masslive.com This story first appeared on Masslive.com View it here.