Tuesday, September 16, is National Voter Registration Day, the country’s largest single-day voter registration drive.

It also happens to be the date for a State House hearing on various voting rights bills, including Same Day Registration.

Our democracy is strongest when everyone can participate, but MA still puts up unnecessary barriers to participation. Given that the average American moves more than 11 times over the course of their lives, moving near Election Day could lead to disenfranchisement with our ten-day registration cutoff. Likewise, given the stress of school, work, family, and myriad other commitments, many voters may first start to learn about an election after the registration window has passed.

Even worse, if clerical errors exist on the voter rolls, voters can fill out a provisional ballot, but voters leave unsure if their vote will be counted. No one should ever lose basic rights due to clerical errors.

Same Day Registration can fix all of that, and MA should join our neighboring states in passing it.