Yesterday, attorneys from Demos, Project Vote, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law sent a pre-litigation notice letter to Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin, demanding that the secretary immediately act to bring the commonwealth into compliance with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) or face litigation.
In a letter to Galvin, the groups cited evidence that Massachusetts is failing to provide low-income residents with a legally mandated opportunity to register to vote under the NVRA. “For example, in 2009-2010, Massachusetts received only 2007 voter registration applications at public assistance agencies, a 92.6% drop from the peak at the time of the NVRA’s implementation [in 1995],” according to the press release.
“Public agency registration is essential because it reaches people who are less likely to register to vote through other means, including low-income residents, minorities, the elderly, and the disabled,” says Nicole Zeitler, director of the Public Agency Voter Registration Program for Project Vote. “It’s important, it’s effective, and it’s the law.”
Project Vote and partners are ready to work with Galvin and state officials to bring the state into full compliance to ensure that all Massachusetts residents have an equal opportunity to register to vote.