(BOSTON 6/30/2022) Ahead of July 4th, Governor Baker has officially signed into law a policy from Senator John Velis (D-Westfield) that will make it easier for military members serving overseas to vote. The amendment was part of the broader voting reform bill, An Act fostering voter opportunities, trust, equity and security.
“I’m incredibly grateful that this policy for our service members has officially been signed into law.” said Senator Velis, who is Chairman of the Legislature’s Veterans Committee. “The right to vote is a fundamental right, but overseas service members are currently burdened by many logistical and operational obstacles that impact that right. Anything that we can do to make that voting process for our service-members overseas more efficient, we have an obligation to do. I am proud to say we fulfill that obligation with this law.”
Senator Velis’ amendment will allow service members overseas to vote through a secure online portal. Fifteen states in the United States already allow similar online voting portals.
The current process for a military member to vote from overseas starts with an absentee application to their local clerk. Then a ballot is either mailed or emailed to them overseas. The military member must then print out the ballot, fill it out, and then either fax it back to their clerk, scan it to email back, or mail it. Once it is received, an election receiver will then copy the military members name and votes onto another physical ballot before it may be counted.
Senator Velis, noted that he himself voted from overseas during the 2018 mid-term elections when he was stationed in Afghanistan, and knows how burdensome the current process is.
“Many times, service-members do not have functioning printers at their installations. Many times, they are not able to communicate with their municipal clerk back home. Many times, they are out on missions that take them away from their installations all together,” said Senator Velis. “I remember the excitement and great pride I felt voting during the 2018 mid-term elections from Afghanistan. At the same, I worried about how many of my fellow service-members might be missing out on this opportunity and wondered why this process could not be simpler.”
Service members will no longer need to find a printer or fax, worry about the back-and-forth communications with their clerk, or wonder about the privacy of their votes. It will be more efficient and cut out red tape while still ensuring safe and secure voting.
“When you are in the military, the focus is always on the mission at hand. We —as a Commonwealth— must do everything we can to make this process as easy as possible so that our military members can exercise their right to vote and get back to their mission,” stated Senator Velis. “At the most fundamental level, this law will make it easier to vote for those who have given us our right to vote.”
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