© 2024 New England Public Media

FCC public inspection files:
WGBYWFCRWNNZWNNUWNNZ-FMWNNI

For assistance accessing our public files, please contact hello@nepm.org or call 413-781-2801.
PBS, NPR and local perspective for western Mass.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Logistical Hurdles As Mass. Tries To Navigate Voting 'In The Age of COVID-19'

This week, Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin filed legislation looking to make it easier for people to vote amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Galvin's proposal looksto relax requirements for getting a mail-in ballot and expand early voting opportunity.

"I want to make sure that any voter who wants to cast their ballot by mail is able to do so this fall, but it is also essential that we preserve in-person voting as an option for those who need it," Galvin said in a press release. "The best way to do that is to spread it out over as many days as possible, to avoid crowding in the polling places."

He warned that time is tight for lawmakers to get something done on this front, since ballots for the September primary need to be printed soon.

Panelist Carrie Saldo pointed out President Trump has warned of the potential for voter fraud tied to mail-in voting.

"But I think what we have to look at is the facts. The Associated Press is the most recent to report that we don't have the evidence to support that mail-in voting would [increase] voter fraud," Saldo said. "So I'm hoping that people will take some solace in that, in terms of moving this issue forward, that it's something that needs to be done in the age of COVID-19."

Some lawmakers have proposed sending a ballot to every registered voter in Massachusetts. Panelist Matt Szafranski worries about the practicality of that for September's primary. That's because the state's large number of unenrolled voters are allowed to choose which party's primary to participate in.

"I understand and certainly agree with the public health perspective, but I think we have to be realistic — you can't just give people every [party's] ballot," Szafranski said. "That's going to create another problem. You're going to see a lot of invalidated ballots, I think, if people try to send [back] in more than one. It will just be chaos."

Also this week, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker received high marks for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. A WGBH poll showed 84% of respondents approved of the the governor's performance, anda WBUR poll of nurses had Baker checking in even a few points higher. 

In Massachusetts, highway officials said there was a spike in motor vehicle fatalities in April, despite far fewer people being on the roads. Four of the accidents took place in western Massachusetts.

"We've seen some fatalities in Springfield, we've seen some in Northampton," said state Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. "It's not just an eastern Massachusetts/western Massachusetts...It's really split all over the state. It's a pretty even spread of where we're seeing these problem areas."

Officials in Connecticut and Vermont said they hadn't seen such a spike in their states. 

Guests: 

Listen to The Short List podcast.

Find more podcasts from NEPR.

Adam joined NEPM as a freelance reporter and fill-in operations assistant during the summer of 2011. For more than 15 years, Adam has had a number stops throughout his broadcast career, including as a news reporter and anchor, sports host and play-by-play announcer as well as a producer and technician.
Related Content