We believe that all eligible voters who turn out to vote should be counted. And we believe that our democracy is at its strongest when everyone participates. That’s why we are urging our lawmakers to pass Election Day Registration.

In Massachusetts, voters must register 20 days prior to an election. This is an arbitrary barrier that prevents and discourages eligible voters from participating. Not only does it keep eligible voters who have not registered in time from participating, but it forces voters who have errors on their registration – whether old addresses or misspelled names – to cast provisional ballots, which are often not counted. Even with the implementation of Automatic Voter Registration, this may remain an obstacle to participation.

Election Day Registration allows eligible voters to register or update their registration on the spot – reducing the need for provisional ballots and encouraging robust voter participation. And it imposes neither significant burdens on election officials nor costs for taxpayers. Officials in 20 states with Election Day Registration say that it makes the election process easier to administer.

There’s no reason to delay any longer. Let’s bring this simple, groundbreaking solution to Massachusetts.