Support Election-Day Voter Registration

This article is part of our series covering crucial proposed 2026 ballot initiatives and how you can support their campaigns.

Election Day Voter Registration is Good for Democracy

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 23 states currently permit eligible voters to register (or update their registration) on Election Day. Massachusetts and Rhode Island are the only New England states that have not enacted this common sense voting reform.

Currently Massachusetts residents must register or update their registration within 10 days of Election Day. This deadline creates an unnecessary barrier that disenfranchises college students, unhoused people, and low-income families facing housing insecurity.

The average US resident moves over 11 times in their lifetime and those living in poverty are often unable to afford long-term housing options. These voters should be permitted to update their voter registration on Election Day instead of having to do so by arbitrary deadline.

Consider also that next year's primary will be held on September 1, which gives college students almost no time to register to vote or update their registration info.

"It’s clear that the current 10-day registration cutoff serves as a barrier to voters’ participation in Boston elections, disproportionately impacting our renters and our immigrant communities. With same day registration, every eligible voter would be able to cast a vote on Election Day.”  —Boston City Councilor Liz Breadon

Proposed Legislation

In early September, several of groups organized a rally for two bills (H.834/S.505) currently under consideration that would permit voters to register and/or update their info on Election Day. Voting rights advocates also testified in support of these bills at a recent legislative hearing held by the Joint Committee on Election Laws that you can view here.

Proposed Ballot Initiative

However, the State House has repeatedly failed to pass Election Day Registration bills, which is why Secretary Galvin filed his ballot initiative over the summer.

Recommended Actions

• Join the signature campaign for Election Day Voter Registration. Every signature you gather helps.
• Sign up to volunteer with Partners In Democracy to collect signatures for this ballot initiative campaign as well as the campaigns for stipend reform, universal voting rights, and expanding Massachusetts public record laws. Working with Partners In Democracy is an efficient way of supporting these campaigns because you can collect signatures for multiple ballot initiatives at once.

Signature Gathering for Pro-Democracy Ballot Questions!

Partners in Democracy is an organization that works on pro-democracy reforms that are centralized around the right to vote, the right to run for office, and the right to see and shape your communities. Together, we are building a statewide coalition to build a democracy in MA that delivers better results for everyday people. Join us to gather signatures for democracy renovation ballot questions, and help strengthen democracy here in MA!

Google Docs

• Contact your state legislators to ask them to support H.63 and S.7 that would remove the voti
• Contact your state legislators to ask them to support Election Day registration bills currently under consideration: H.834/S.505. For a script and additional resources, check out the Progressive Massachusetts Same Day Registration toolkit:

Same Day Registration

Same Day Registration About the Bill Bill Highlights Contact Your Legislators Talking Points & Sample Tweets Write a Letter to the Editor Read More About the Bill Contact Your Legislators Social Media

Progressive Mass

• Financially support and/or volunteer for groups that are working for election reform and voting rights, including:
  • ACLU of Massachusetts
  • Common Cause Massachusetts
  • League of Women Voters of Massachusetts
  • MassVOTE
  • Massachusetts Voter Table
  • Progressive Massachusetts
  • The Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts