(BOSTON 10/6/2021) On Wednesday, October 6th, the Massachusetts State Senate unanimously adopted an amendment put forward by Senator John Velis (D-Westfield) that ensures a streamlined absentee voting process for Massachusetts residents who are serving in our armed forces overseas. The amendment was adopted during the Senate’s debate on S2545, An Act fostering voter opportunities, trust, equity and security.
Senator Velis, who chairs the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, noted in his speech that he himself voted from overseas during the 2018 mid-term elections when he was stationed in Afghanistan. He stated that the current process is cumbersome and overly complex.
“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,” stated Senator Velis. “The right to vote is a fundamental right, but overseas service members are burdened by many logistical and operational obstacles that impact their right to vote.”
The current process for a military member overseas who wants to vote starts with an absentee application to their local clerk. Then, depending on the type of election, their 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 printers, scanners, and fax machines are not always available to military members. Many times, service-members do not have functioning printers at their installations, or are out on missions that take them away from their installations all together.
This process also puts an additional toll on local clerks and election officials who must communicate and work with each individual military member overseas during an already incredibly busy time. Copying over the names and votes of military members adds another step to the elongated process and restricts a service-members’ privacy while voting.
Senator Velis’ amendment will allow service members overseas to vote through a secure online portal. Fifteen states in the United States already allow online voting portals or mobile applications as a way for overseas service members. 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—have an obligation 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. “Anything that we can do to make that voting process for our service-members overseas more efficient and more timely, we need to do. At the most fundamental level, this amendment is about making it easier to vote for those who have given us our right to vote.”
The amendment is part of the final language of S2545. The bill will now go to the House of Representatives for their consideration.
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