Gov. Baker’s Early-Voting Funding Cuts Harm People of Color & Low-Income Communities

Last week, Governor Baker vetoed $1.2 million dollars in state spending that was earmarked to implement the Commonwealth’s new early-voting program, an important measure to eliminate barriers to full electoral participation, particularly in communities of color. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice calls upon Governor Baker to reconsider his decision. In the alternative, we call upon the Legislature to override this veto and restore these vital funds immediately.

Early voting is a key vehicle used to increase political participation, helping to protect what many have called the “crown jewel” of American liberties. A new Massachusetts law passed in 2014, and set to begin with the November 2016 presidential election, grants Massachusetts residents the right to visit a voting site and cast an in-person ballot, or vote by mail, as early as 11 business days prior to Election Day. This reform aligns Massachusetts with 36 other states that already allow some form of early voting.

Early voting is particularly crucial for communities of color and low-income communities. These initiatives provide flexibility and additional options for voters who cannot afford to take time off of work or who work more than one job; as well as, single parents without childcare. Governor Baker’s refusal to fund the early-voting program, unfortunately, is in line with other recent discriminatory and exclusionary measures taken across the country that suppress voting, particularly in communities of color, such as overly strict ID requirements.

Governor Baker’s decision to veto funding for the Massachusetts early-voting program is not only unwise public policy, it also raises serious legal concerns. In particular, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, protects communities of color against barriers to voting opportunities and has been used to challenge the type of adverse action taken here by Governor Baker.

The Lawyers’ Committee urges Governor Baker to reconsider his decision to cut vital funds for the early-voting program. In the alternative, we call upon the Legislature to override Governor Baker’s veto and to eliminate barriers to full electoral participation, particularly in communities of color and low-income communities.

Lawyers Committee Responds to Baker Veto FINAL

This statement was featured in the Boston Globe, and the Lawyers’ Committee’s litigation director, Oren Sellstrom, discussed early voting with the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.