Ballot Question 4 Leaves Voters to Rule on Same-Day Voter Registration on Election Day

Ballot Question 4 will give Massachusetts voters the chance to weigh in on a slow-moving effort in the Legislature to permit same-day voter registration on Election Day.

Under current state law, Massachusetts voters who want to cast a ballot must be registered at least 10 days before Election Day. Early voting for statewide general elections runs for two weeks, starting 17 days before Election Day.

This timeline allows prospective voters to register in-person, online, or by mail — and cast their ballots the same day — through the first week of early voting.

Supporters have said that the ballot question will expand access to residents to vote in elections — especially for those who move frequently, like young adults and renters. Still, opponents, including the Massachusetts Republican Party, have argued that it could overburden election workers.

There is no formal committee raising funds in opposition to the measure. But the two primary committees supporting Question 4 — YES on Election Day Voter Registration and Vote YES on 4 Election Day Registration — have drawn in nearly $325,000 since last October. Question 4 is the only proposition out of nine on the ballot that has raised less than $1 million.

What Would Question 4 Do?

If Question 4 passes, voters would be permitted to register on Election Day beginning January 2028, but the 10-day registration deadline would remain in place otherwise. To register on Election Day, residents would be required to bring photo identification or other documentation demonstrating residency and sign a written oath.

Those without the proper identification would cast a provisional ballot and must provide the documentation before the polls close for a municipal election, two days after a primary, or six days after a state election.

Twenty states and Washington D.C. — including all New England states but Rhode Island and Massachusetts — permit same-day voter registration on Election Day, and, in some cases, during the early voting period. Connecticut offers same-day registration for general elections.

Cambridge spokesperson Jeremy H. Warnick declined to comment on behalf of the Cambridge Election Commission, adding that regulations would be received “from the Secretary of State’s Office as to the procedures and implementation” if the ballot question wins voter approval.

Supporters Say Question 4 Could “Transform Our Elections”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts has donated more than $110,000 across both committees, or nearly 35 percent of the total funds raised to back the proposition. Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin’s committee has also raised nearly a quarter of the committees’ total funds, contributing nearly $80,000 to back the effort.

Less than 5 percent of the funds have come from individual donors. Roughly half of the funds have come from advocacy groups, 28 percent from candidate committees, and 20 percent from union and labor groups.

Three members of the state’s federal lawmakers have also given money to back the proposition. House Democratic Minority Whip Katherine M. Clark (D-Mass.) spent $5,000, while U.S. Senator Elizabeth A. Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.) contributed $3,000 apiece.

Warren wrote that voting is a “fundamental right” and “we should make it easier for Americans to have a say in the decisions that shape their lives.

Election Day registration will help more Massachusetts residents cast their ballots and make sure no one is shut out of our democracy just because they missed a registration deadline,” she added.

State Rep. Marjorie C. Decker, who represents much of Cambridge, wrote that she supports the ballot measure and “has been a strong supporter of increasing voter access and expanding opportunities for people to participate in our democracy.”

Decker acknowledged concerns over the condensed timeline for voter verification, but added “the focus should be on providing local election officials with the resources they need to make voting more accessible.”

Cambridge City Councilor Timothy R. Flaherty struck a similar tone, saying that same-day registration “will transform our elections,” as long as poll workers are “neither overworked or distracted.”

U.S. Representative Ayanna S. Pressley (D-Mass.), who represents parts of Cambridge, wrote that the measure came amid broader efforts from the federal government to overhaul voter registration, identification, and mail-in ballots.

“Registration is a proven way to boost turnout and make sure every eligible voter has a voice,” Pressley wrote. “And it would eliminate the hurdles that too often block Black, brown, low-income, and immigrant communities from participating in our democracy.”

“Massachusetts is often described as the birthplace of American democracy, and it’s time our election laws reflect that,” she added.

Opponents Warn of Fraud

The primary opposition to Question 4 has come from the Massachusetts Republican Party. In the state’s voter guide, Amy Carnevale, the party’s chair, wrote that the measure would substantially limit the time period election officials would have to verify voters’ information — suggesting that errors would be more difficult to discover once ballots have already been cast.

“This ballot question would replace advance review with hurried, same-day judgments that could create avoidable vulnerabilities in election administration, increase the risk that unlawful ballots could affect close contests, and weaken confidence that every ballot was lawfully cast in our elections,” Carnevale wrote.

Carnevale did not respond to a request for comment.

A review by the Tufts University Center for State Policy Analysis found that the measure would have little impact, arguing most likely voters are already registered. The analysis also pointed to an increased burden of costs’ on municipalities without new state funding and technology, acknowledging the measure may increase difficulties in voter verification.

And Question 4 is not the first time the state has pushed for same-day voter registration. Since 2007, the Massachusetts State Senate has repeatedly put forward similar bills that have failed to move past the House.

In 2021, the Senate passed a bill solidifying pandemic-related election changes long-term, including a provision to implement same-day registration, but the House passed a similar version without the same provision. Ultimately, a joint House and Senate committee opted to shorten the registration deadline from 20 days prior to the election to 10 days, but dropped the same-day registration provision.

Since then, further similar pieces of legislation have failed to advance through either chamber.

Decker wrote that it has been “challenging to move through the Legislature because a majority of legislators voted against the measure, despite the efforts of my colleagues and me who are deeply committed to expanding voting access.”

“Testimony has also raised concerns about the additional staffing, technology, training and funding needed by local election officials to implement same-day registration,” she added.

A legislative committee voted in May to recommend that the Legislature take no action, saying the measure “does not adequately address the operational challenges raised by the testimony it received.”

—Staff writer Uy B. Pham can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal at ubp.88. Follow him on X @uybpham.