Election reform

Senator Friedman has co-sponsored the following bills relative to election reform in the 2017-2018 legislative session:

S365 An Act restoring financial transparency in presidential elections

  • Summary: This bill would require candidates in major party primary elections in Massachusetts who are running for U.S. president to submit their 3 most recently-filed federal tax returns to the Secretary of State, who in turn is required to make the documents public at least 30 days before the relevant primary election.

S373 An Act automatically registering eligible voters and enhancing safeguards against fraud

  • Summary: This bill would shift our voter registration system from opt-in to opt-out. Every eligible citizen who interacts with the RMV and other voter registration agencies would be automatically registered to vote, unless they opt out. It would also require Massachusetts to further improve the accuracy of voting rolls by joining the Electronic Registration Information Center.

S375 An Act promoting political participation

  • Summary: This bill would enable Massachusetts residents to authorize small, regular deductions from pay, at levels they can afford, to contribute to political and advocacy organizations. Through this payroll deduction mechanism, the bill would make these contributions financially feasible and eliminate transaction costs, thereby encouraging greater numbers of Massachusetts residents to participate in community, civic, and political life.

S2052 An Act to Fairly Fund Early Voting

  • Summary: This bill would establish as a policy of the Commonwealth the reimbursement of municipalities for costs incurred from the practice of early voting.