Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that appropriates funds for a supplemental budget and makes mail-in voting a permanent option.

Highlights:

• Appropriates $31.94 million for the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Sec. 2).

• Appropriates $27.85 million for the Department of Transportational Assistance (Sec. 2).

• Appropriates $11.03 million for the Department of State Police (Sec. 2).

• Appropriates $10 million for the Military Division (Sec. 2).

• Appropriates $131.06 million for the Department of Early Education and Care (Sec. 2.A).

• Establishes early voting in person for an election will be conducted on all weekend dates during the early voting period as follows (Sec. 25B.d-2):

• For municipalities with fewer than 5,000 registered voters, for a period of a minimum of 2 hours each day;

• For municipalities with 5,000 or more registered voters but fewer than 20,000 registered voters, for a period of a minimum of 4 hours each day;

• For municipalities with 20,000 or more registered voters but fewer than 40,000 registered voters, for a period of a minimum of 5 hours each day; 

• For municipalities with 40,000 or more registered voters but fewer than 75,000 registered voters, for a period of a minimum of 6 hours each day; and

• For municipalities with 75,000 or more registered voters, for a period of a minimum of 8 hours each day.

• Requires the designation of an early voting site to be made not less than 14 days before the beginning of the voting period. Not less than 7 days before the beginning of the early voting period, and at least once during the voting period, the registrars for each city or town will post the location of the early voting sites as well as the applicable dates and hours (Sec. 25C.f).

• Establishes voter applications will be in a form prescribed by the state secretary following state and federal law; provided, however, that said applications (Sec. 25D-3):

• Include clear instructions for completing and returning the application;

• Allow a voter to designate the mailing address to which the ballot will be sent; and

• Be pre-addressed to the local election official with postage guaranteed.

• Authorizes early voting ballots to be mailed by the city or town clerks to voters as soon as such materials are available; provided, however, that said mailing includes (Sec. 25D.f-1):

• Instructions for early voting;

• Instructions for completing the ballot;

• An inner envelope where the ballot is placed after voting which contains a voter affidavit to be filled out by the voter; and

• An outer envelope that is pre-addressed to the local official with postage guaranteed; provided, however, that a voter who has seasonably applied may receive an early voting ballot in person at the office of the city or town clerk.

• Requires the state secretary to implement a system to allow a qualified voter to request an early or absentee ballot on the state secretary’s website, to be mailed to the qualified voter’s home address or a different mailing address as designated by the voter. The system shall not require the voter’s signature (Sec. 41).

• Requires the state secretary to conduct a public awareness campaign to inform voters throughout the commonwealth of the provisions of this law, including, but not limited to, measures to promote public awareness of expanded early voting options in elections and the requirements and procedures for early voting by mail, for example, information related to the ability of a voter who requests but does not return an early voting by mail ballot to vote in person on election day (Sec. 42).

Full Bill Text