Supreme Judicial Court rules against GOP challenge to new Massachusetts voting law
BOSTON -- The Supreme Judicial Court has ruled against a GOP challenge to the state's new voting law. The Massachusetts Republican Party filed a lawsuit claiming the expansion of early voting, and permanent mail-in voting was unconstitutional.
The high court rejected that argument.
"Today is a great day for Massachusetts citizens and voters," said Secretary of State William Galvin.
In June, Gov. Charlie Baker signed the VOTES Act into law.
"The first aspect of the Act, which was critically timed, is the availability of vote-by-mail ballots without excuse for all voters in Massachusetts, for our upcoming September 6th primaries. As part of the Act, I have an obligation and look forward to carrying out it gets carried out of providing applications to each and every voter in Massachusetts. These applications will begin printing today with the hope that we will have them in the mail by next week at the latest," Galvin said.
The law lets registered voters vote by mail for any presidential, state or municipal primary or election; sets aside two weeks - including two weekends - of early voting in-person for biennial state elections and one week - including one weekend - for presidential or state primaries; and moves the voter registration deadline from 20 to 10 days before a preliminary, primary or general election. Mail-in ballot applications, with return postage guaranteed, need to be sent to registered voters 45 days before any state election while hosting an online portal where voters can request ballots in multiple languages.
Mass. Republican Party Chairman Jim Lyons said they would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
