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Page 14 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 THE HOUSE AND SENATE: The House and Senate continued to hold remote sessions with just a few members in the chambers to avoid spreading the COVID-19. Most members watched and listened to the debate from their home or business offi ce through their computers and voted via phone. Beacon Hill Roll Call records local senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of June 15-19. There were no roll calls in the House last week. EXPAND VOTING (S 2755) Senate 40-0, approved a bill that would provide registered voters three options to cast a ballot in the September 1 primary and November 3 general election including extended early voting periods, voting in-person on Election Day and voting-by-mail. The House has already approved its own version of the bill. Last week, a sixmember conference committee made up of three senators and three representatives was appointed to hammer out a compromise version that would pass both branches. The Senate measure requires an application for a voter to request an early voting ballot for the September 1 primary election to be mailed by Secretary of State Bill Galvin to all registered voters by July 15, 2020. Galvin will then mail a separate application to vote by mail in the General Election along with the voter booklet sent out in the fall. Another key provision allows early voting for the September 1 primary to take place from Saturday, August 22 through Friday, August 28. Early voting for the November 3 general election would be available from Tuesday, October 17 to Friday, October 30. The measure also expands absentee voting by allowing any person taking precautions related to COVID-19 to vote absentee via secure drop boxes that will provide a sanitary drop-off method. Other provisions impose safety measures to be taken at the polls to prevent the spread of the virus to voters and poll workers; allow cities and towns to count vote totals prior to Election Day, provide pre-addressed envelopes for voters to return their applications for an early ballot; requires Secretary Galvin’s offi ce to create an online portal by October 1, 2020 to take some burden off the city and town clerk’s offi ces and make it as easy as possible for people to apply for General Election early voting ballots electronically. “Our goal with this legislation was to make it easier for people to exercise their fundamental democratic right to vote during these unprecedented times,” said Sen. Barry Finegold (D-Andover), the Senate chair of the Election Laws Committee. “This is the fi rst time in the history of the commonwealth that we are off ering early voting for primaries, sending out applications to vote by mail and counting ballots after Election Day.” MassVOTE Executive Director Cheryl Clyburn Crawford said while the organization is disappointed that voters will not automatically receive ballots this fall, she applauds the Senate for passing the legislation. “This Fall’s elections will undoubtedly prove challenging,” said Crawford. “Nevertheless, we believe the Senate bill passed today will provide local election offi cials the tools they need to run our elections this fall, while allowing voters to cast their ballot in a safe, secure manner.” “The elections bill passed today is a historic step that dramatically increases voting access in our commonwealth,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (DAshland). “This bill would allow voters, for the fi rst time, to cast ballots by mail, vote early and safely vote in person—allowing residents to safely exercise their important right to vote during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Senate has always championed greater participation in our democracy, and I am proud that ideas we’ve originated over the years are contained in this bill.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Joseph Boncore Yes MORE DETAILS ON ENSURING SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE ELECTIONS (S 2755) Senate 16-23, rejected an amendment that would replace a provision in the bill that requires Secretary Galvin, in conjunction with the Department of Public Health, to establish regulations requiring public health safeguards at early voting sites and polling places. The safeguards include requiring the distancing of voters and election offi cers, frequent use of sanitizers, appropriate clothing and the use of marking pens. The amendment includes many more specifi c details and ultimately allows cities and towns to make the final decision on what safeguards it wants to impose. The amendment includes requiring Galvin to provide comprehensive guidance to municipalities on designing polling locations to ensure six-foot physical distancing throughout the voting process; proper signage in and outside of the polling site; implement curbside voting for voters with physical or health limitations; establish a statewide volunteer portal so that all municipalities have adequate poll workers; planning for volunteer poll worker shortages and outreach, recruitment, and training of additional and reserve poll workers to ensure that the burden of administering the in-person election does not fall on older and vulnerable poll workers at greater risk to COVID-19. Another key detailed provision requires the guidance to include protection of poll workers with personal protective equipment, adequate access to cleaning supplies throughout the day, access to hand-washing and bathrooms with adequate soap, water and disposable paper towels and other public health measures to protect poll workers and voters from the spread of coronavirus. “I filed this amendment to ensure that our city and town clerks and their staffs, voting registrars, and voters are as safe as possible, at the election polls,” said Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton), the sponsor of the amendment. “While voting by mail will surely increase as a result of the Legislature’s actions in this bill, if we truly consider voting as a right, the state should be providing as much guidance, personal protection equipment, enforcement of physical distancing, and no-contact options for people to vote this fall … [The] pandemic has already resulted in challenges for cities and towns to fi nd more election volunteers [and] this volunteer portal will also better support our municipal election clerks.” “[The bill itself] covered the majority of the concerns raised in [Sen. Eldridge’s amendment] … but in broader terms,” said Election Laws Committee chair Sen. Barry Finegold (D-Andover) who was leading the charge for the bill. He noted that he already had commitments from Galvin to implement the rest of Eldridge’s amendment that was not in the bill. (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Joseph Boncore No UNIFORM EARLY VOTING/ ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS (H 2755) Senate 14-25, rejected an amendment that would standardize early voting/absentee ballot applications, ballots and permits including voter indication of early voting or absentee voting on applications to track non-voter-specifi c rates of early voting and absentee voting. “A uniform application and ballot would help to eliminate voter confusion and reduce processing ineffi ciencies and unintentional errors that could lead to potentially invalid ballots,” said the amendment’s sponsor Sen. Diana DiZoglio (DMethuen.) “Clerks in my district have faced the issue of whether a ballot should count because the voter received or submitted the wrong type of ballot. No one’s vote should be excludible on account of a mistake in form. This amendment makes an investment in our electoral system that can reduce costs in the long run, by simplifying the process for requesting, receiving and returning ballots. With the fi nancial burden the pandemic has imposed on the commonwealth, we must think outside the box and make investments that will provide reduced cost returns.” “I support options to limit confusion for voters and our clerks,” said Finegold who opposed the amendment. “However, there are diff erent legal requirements for absentee voting and early voting by mail, which is why two separate applications are standard.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Joseph Boncore No PROCESSING OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS (S 2755) Senate 10-29, rejected an amendment that would require absentee ballots only be processed during the normal hours of operation of the city or town hall and that a member of the board of registrars in the city or town representing the two leading political parties be notifi ed about the time and location of the processing and be permitted to observe. “The purpose of this amendment is to create more safeguards around the expansion of absentee voting and the processing of absentee ballots during this election cycle,” said the amendment’s sponsor Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton). “I believe that it is necessary to add these layers of additional protection to minimize the risk of fraud and abuse with election ballots.” “I respect and understand what Sen. Fattman was trying to do with this amendment,” said Sen. Finegold. “Unfortunately, it is too prescriptive for what we are trying to do with this legislation. We’ve spoken with Secretary Galvin and are confi dent that his regulations will provide an opportunity for public observation.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Joseph Boncore No VOTING BY MAIL APPLICATIONS (S 2755) Senate 39-0 approved an amendment to a section of the bill that requires Secretary Galvin to include early voting by mail applications with the voter information booklet that gets sent to every Bay State household in the fall. The amendment guarantees that the cover or exterior envelope of the voter booklet will clearly state that voting by mail applications are included inside, and that the booklets and applications will be mailed to households by October 5. It also requires that any vote by a select board or city or town council to relocate regular polling places be both public and recorded and directs the secretary of state to conduct a public awareness campaign to promote the new voting options included in the bill. “I’m proud that the Senate unanimously adopted my amendment … in a bipartisan show of support for equity and education when it comes to ballot access and vote by mail,” said Sen. Becca Rausch (D-Needham). “This amendment … enhances voter education and outreach promotes government transparency. “We know that historically, Black and Latinx voters rely on in-person polling places, and that changes to those locations, especially at the last minute, have a disproportionate impact on voters of color,” continued Rausch. “Thanks to my amendment, if city and town offi cials vote to relocate regular polling places, the votes must be both public and recorded. This is a crucial change for government transparency—if our local elected offi cials are going to make these changes just weeks before an election, it’s critical that they stand up and own their votes.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment). Sen. Joseph Boncore Yes HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of June 1519, the House met for a total of one hour and 11 minutes while the Senate met for a total of two hours and 46 minutes. Mon. June 15 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:07 a.m. Senate 11:07 a.m. to 11:26 a.m. Tues. June 16 No House session. Senate 11:30 a.m. to 12:16 p.m. Wed. June 17 No House session No Senate session Thurs. June 18 House 11:02 a.m. to 12:07 p.m. Senate 11:14 a.m. to 12:55 p.m. Fri. June 19 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com

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