Massachusetts is still fighting a ruling that struck down its voter-registration deadline of 20 days prior to an election, but the state on Thursday proposed same-day voter registration in the commonwealth. Secretary of State William Galvin filed the bill on Jan. 25, six months after Suffolk Superior Court Judge Douglas Wilkins struck down the 20-day rule as unconstitutional. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts represented the challengers who brought the underlying suit, including voter Rafael Sanchez, and the groups Chelsea Collaborative and MassVote.
Despite his new bill proposal, Galvin is also appealing Wilkins’ decision to the Supreme Judicial Court, which is scheduled to hold arguments on March 6.
In their December brief to the SJC, the state Attorney General’s Office said that the challengers failed to show that shortening the registration deadline would statistically improve voter turnout.
Full Article: Massachusetts Inches Toward Election-Day Voter Registration.