The legislation, if signed by Governor Charlie Baker, would allow Massachusetts residents to be automatically registered to vote as part of a transaction with the Registry of Motor Vehicles and MassHealth, both of which verify citizenship.
State Secretary William Galvin told 22News, the bill would allow the state to join ERIC, the Electronic Registration Information Center, a network of states working to improve the accuracy of America’s voter rolls.
After speaking with Baker’s Legal Counsel, Galvin said he’s confident the governor will sign it.
“I think they recognize the significance of the legislation, I think they see it as helpful to people, and I think we all recognize, certainly, after the last election and more recent elections how important voting is; that votes do count when you have very close elections for president and for other races,” said Galvin.
Citizens who change their addresses with the RMV or with Mass Health will have their voter registration updated automatically.
If approved, Galvin’s office will be able to start auto voter registration on January 1, 2020.
