Tuesday, July 1, the Massachusetts House of Representatives voted in favor of the conference committee report that was agreed to by the House and the Senate on voting options for our fall elections.

STATE PRIMARY – TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

• EARLY VOTING BY MAIL: All registered voters will be mailed an absentee ballot request form by July 15. Form will be preprinted with local election official address and no additional postage required;
• EARLY VOTING IN PERSON: Saturday, August 22 thru Friday, August 28;
• ELECTION DAY VOTING – Regular polling hours with social distancing/cleaning protocols and streamlined check out procedures.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION – TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3

• EARLY VOTING BY MAIL: All registered voters will be mailed an absentee ballot request form by September 14. Form will be preprinted with local election official address and no additional postage required;
• EARLY VOTING IN PERSON: Saturday, October 17 thru Friday, October 30;
• ELECTION DAY VOTING – Regular polling hours with social distancing/cleaning protocols and streamlined check out procedures.

The Secretary of State will also set up an online portal no later than October 1, to allow registered voters to request their absentee ballot in lieu of mailing paper form.
A voter who casts their ballot via mail or early voting will be marked as “EV” on voting list.
There are additional provisions allowing town clerks to process (though not tally) early votes as they come in. It also includes a provision to ensure that any necessary changes to polling locations are made at least 20 days prior to election so there is no additional confusion about where to vote, as has happened in other states.

A mailed ballot properly postmarked by Election Day will be counted if received by November 6, 2020

February 20, 2020 in Washington, D.C.

As the 2020 elections rapidly approach, the US Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has designed a forum to address growing concerns regarding accessibility and security. This all-day forum will bring together state and local election officials, people with disabilities, disability advocates, and election security experts to discuss issues and advance solutions. The collaborative workshops and EAC’s efforts will assist election officials serving voters with disabilities in the 2020 elections and beyond. EAC commissioners will be in attendance and will play a leading role in promoting collaboration amongst participants.

https://www.eac.gov/events/2020/02/20/2020-elections-disability-accessibility-and-security-forum

6 Democratic Candidates will be on the stage at 9 p.m. on CNN.

• Vice President Joe Biden
• former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg
• Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar
• Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders
• Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren
• billionaire activist Tom Steyer,

https://www.npr.org/2020/01/09/795086561/democratic-debate-grows-to-6-candidates-as-steyer-hits-january-threshold

Tuesday, November 5th: 2019 Municipal Elections!
November 5th, 2019 is election day for many municipalities across the Commonwealth! Be sure to make it to the polls if your city/town has an election, and spread the word to your family and friends! And keep in mind that polling locations run on different schedules depending on municipality. Check here to see all cities/towns holding elections and the hours that polls are open for each: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elemuniele/munieleidx.htm If you have questions about voting, contact the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Elections and Voting Division at this toll free number: 1-800-462-VOTE (8683). You can also email them at elections@sec.state.ma.us

Disabled People and Civic Engagement

Brandeis University in partnership with the Ford Foundation and the Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy are working to better understand the challenges, gaps, and opportunities for cross-movement work between disability rights and civic engagement communities. This work is informed by disabled people in the disability rights community to identify areas where philanthropy can better commit (and in some cases recommit) to disability rights within their civic engagement work.

As part of this research they are sharing a survey for people with disabilities who live in the U.S. about their civic engagement experiences. This survey is anonymous and voluntary.

They would appreciate if you would take a few minutes to complete the survey, and/or share with your networks. If you have questions or require an accessible version of this survey please let Sandy Ho, hos@brandeis.edu, know and one will be provided.

SURVEY: People with disabilities and Civic engagement: A Way Forward for Philanthropy

You can read more about Civic Engagement at FordFoundation.org.

Thanks to the Center for Living and Working in Worcester for the information!

Nonprofit VOTE is offering a free Voter Engagement Crash Course on September 9 – 13, 2019.

” You know what the difference is between you and other organizations who have solid, reliable voter engagement plans? One week.
Enroll now for a one week crash course — September 9-13 — for a series of daily webinars and resources that will have you ready to act and get people registered.  “

Click Here to Enroll in the Voter Engagement Crash Course.

WEBINAR: Running a Voter Registration Drive at Your Nonprofit

Nonprofit VOTE is also offering a free Webinar on Thursday, August 29 at 2 p.m. ET.

Click Here to Enroll in Running a Voter Registration Drive.

For more information, visit ballotpedia.org or Teen Vogue.

12 Democratic candidates will take the stage at Otterbein University in Ohio. You can watch the Tuesday, October 15th Debate at 8 p.m. ET on CNN as well as livestreamed on other platforms.

The list of candidates is: Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Julián Castro, Tulsi Gabbard, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer,
Elizabeth Warren, Andrew Yang

Get Educated!

We can do better!  Read this new analysis from the Philadelphia Inquirer of the Rutgers Report on the Disability Vote in 2018.

https://www.inquirer.com/politics/voters-disabled-turnout-2020-gap-20190722.html

Automark Demo at ADA Celebration!

Boston’s Election Department will have an Automark Machine set up.  They will be training attendees who may not have used one before or would like a refresher on how the Automark works.

ADA Celebration in Boston

Tuesday, July 23:  12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m.
Boston City Hall Plaza, One City Hall Square, Boston