BOSTON (3/24/20) – Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) supported a bill that passed the Senate and House to help protect public health by providing cities and towns the authority to postpone and reschedule certain municipal elections and related activities. The bill was signed into law by the Governor shortly after.
The legislation includes guidelines for public notification of rescheduled election dates, voter registration deadlines, absentee ballots processing, and the display of sample ballots. The bill allows municipal governments to postpone caucus or certain elections scheduled before May 30, 2020 and reschedule the caucus or elections to a date prior to June 30, 2020. It also allows any eligible voter to vote early by mail for elections occurring before June 30, 2020.
“As we address COVID-19, we must do everything we can to uphold our democracy,” said Senator Friedman. “I’m pleased that this bill empowers our municipalities to delay elections and allow vote-by-mail and absentee voting options to ensure that voters can safely make their voices heard. I want to thank Senate President Spilka and Speaker DeLeo for getting this done so expeditiously.”
In addition, the Senate issued an order to reschedule two state special elections until May 19, 2020. The House issued orders to reschedule two special state elections until June 2, 2020.
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Senator Friedman is providing regular updates on her website regarding the coronavirus outbreak in Massachusetts. All constituents are encouraged to visit cindyfriedman.org/COVID19 to stay up-to-date on the latest news and information from her office about COVID-19.
In addition, she will continue to provide updates on her various social media platforms, including Facebook @CindyFriedmanMA, Twitter @CindyFriedmanMA, and Instagram @sencindyfriedman, as well as through her newsletter. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Senator Friedman’s office by phone at (617) 722-1432 or by email at Cindy.Friedman@masenate.gov.
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