In last year’s state and federal elections, Massachusetts allowed voters to send their ballots by mail or vote early at City Hall. More than half of Lynn voters voted by mail or voted early in person. Despite the pandemic, voter turnout in Lynn was massive.
Higher turnout is good for our democracy. As a community, we make better decisions when more people are engaged. Making it easier to vote also helps those with the highest barriers to voting: people working long or unpredictable hours, people with demanding caretaking responsibilities, people with mobility issues.
The state offered vote-by-mail and extra early voting hours because of public health concerns during the pandemic. It was a resounding success. Turnout increased statewide. The integrity of the vote was maintained. Election officials and workers rose to the occasion and demonstrated that this was one innovation forced by necessity that we should keep.
To date, the Massachusetts Legislature has yet to carry these options forward to the municipal elections this fall. There are competing bills still being debated in the legislature that aim to increase voter access in different ways.
Those debates are important. Changes to the most foundational process of our democracy — the vote — should not be taken lightly.
In the meantime, the changes temporarily installed in 2020 should be carried forward while the permanent changes are debated and implemented in due course. Legislators are working on the temporary extension, but quick passage is essential because time is running out.
Voting access is important every year. It is particularly important in Lynn this year as the city prepares to choose its next mayor, with Mayor Thomas M. McGee choosing not to run for reelection.
Common sense and political analysis all suggest that some form of vote-by-mail and early voting will become a permanent part of voting in Massachusetts. Past experience shows that these changes encourage more voters to participate.
The cost of voting by mail and early voting to the City is manageable, but the state can and should reimburse the City for any increase over what the City had already budgeted.
A failure to implement a temporary solution this fall is in effect suppressing those incremental voters for this year only for no reason but poor planning. State officials should allow early voting and vote-by-mail in Lynn this fall, and city officials should press them to do so.
Jared Nicholson is a candidate for mayor of Lynn. He is currently a member of the Lynn School Committee and a law professor at Northeastern University.
