Signed by Governor Charlie Baker

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that expands voting options in response to COVID-19, authorizing registered voters to vote by mail in the primary and general elections.

Highlights:

• Requires election officers and registrars of every city or town to allow a qualified voter to cast an early ballot by mail for the primary election and general election and any city or town election at the same time (Sec. 6).

• Requires the state secretary to mail to all registered voters who registered before July 1 an application for the said voter to be permitted to vote early by mail for the primary election, no later than July 15, 2020 (Sec. 1).

• Requires the secretary of state to mail to all registered voters who registered to vote before September 1 an application for a said voter to be permitted to vote early by mail in the general election, no later than September 14, 2020 (Sec. 6).

• Requires the election officers and registrars of every city or town to include an application for a voter to be permitted to vote early by mail with the acknowledgement notice sent to any person registering to vote or changing their voter registration address (Sec. 6):

• On or after July 1, 2020, and on or before August 22, 2020, for the primary election; and

• On or after September 1, 2020, and on or before October 24, 2020, for the general election. 

• Specifies that the secretary of state will not send an application to any voter whose previous application for an absent or early ballot for the primary election or for all elections in the 2020 calendar year has been accepted (Sec. 6).

• Specifies that the voting period for in-person early voting will run from the 11th business day preceding the general election until the close of business on the business day preceding the business day before the election (Sec. 2).

• Specifies that if the 11 business day before the election falls on a legal holiday the early voting period must begin on the first business day prior to the legal holiday (Sec. 2). 

• Requires the voting period for early voting by mail to begin as soon as all necessary early voting materials have been received by the local election official (Sec. 2).

• Requires the secretary of state to conduct a public awareness campaign to inform voters throughout the state of the provisions within this bill, including (Sec. 24):

• Measures to promote public awareness of expanded early voting options in the 2020 primary and general elections; and 

• The requirements and procedures for early voting by mail including information related to the ability of a voter who requests but does not return early voting by mail ballots to vote in person on election day.

Full Bill Text