[1580] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
MASS voters' bill of rights
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Sarah McDougal)
Sat Oct 23 15:12:32 2004
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 2004 15:11:25 -0400
Reply-To: asarahm@alum.MIT.EDU
From: Sarah McDougal <asarahm@MIT.EDU>
To: MIT-Talk@MIT.EDU
Hello!
(bcc'd to mit-talk, ua, fen, and esg-soc. Please feel free to forward as
appropriate.)
The Boston Globe recently published the Mass. Voters Bill of Rights. And since
there were a few rights I didn't know about, I thought I would pass on the
information.
The three which I didn't know:
#8 If you registered to vote by mail (as I did), you are required to show ID.
#10 If someone challenges your vote, or if you think you're registered, but
not on the list, you can file a provisional ballot.
#14 If you are in line to vote when the polls close (8pm) YOU HAVE THE RIGHT
TO VOTE.
The League of Women Voters (www.lwv.org) has more info for you folks living
outside of Massachusetts.
If you have a problem with voting, you can call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
Yay voting information!
Take care all,
-Sarah, '01
(from www.voteinfo.info)
MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS' BILL OF RIGHTS
Your voting rights are protected. These rights are guaranteed to qualified
registered voters.
1. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to vote if you are a qualified registered voter.
2. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to cast your ballot in a manner that ensures privacy.
You have the right to vote without any person trying to influence your vote and
to vote in a booth that prevents others from watching you mark your ballot.
3. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to remain in the voting booth for five minutes if there
are other voters waiting and for ten minutes if there are no other voters
waiting.
4. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to receive up to two replacement ballots if you make a
mistake and spoil your ballot.
5. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to request assistance when voting from a poll worker or
anyone of your choice, except your employer or an officer of your union or
their representatives.
6. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to vote if you are disabled. The polling place must be
accessible, and there must be an accessible voting booth.
7. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to vote if you cannot read or write or cannot read or
write English.
8 YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to vote but must show identification if: you are a
first-time voter who registered to vote by mail and did not submit
identification with the voter registration form; or your name is on the
inactive voter list; or your vote is being challenged; or if requested by a
poll worker. Acceptable forms of identification are: Massachusetts drivers'
license, other printed documentation containing your name and address such as a
recent utility bill, rent receipt on landlord's letterhead, lease, or a copy of
a voter registration acknowledgement or receipt.
9. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to vote by absentee ballot if: you will be absent from
your city or town on Election Day; or if you have a physcial disability that
precents your voting at the polling place; or if you cannot vote at the polls
due to religious belief.
10. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to cast a provisional ballot if you believe you are a
qualified registered voter but a poll worker tells you that you are ineleigible
to vote.
11. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to follow up any challenge to your right to vote
throughout the complaint process.
12. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to vote if you are not currently incarcerated for a
felony conviction and have registered as a voter after your release.
13. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to take this Voters' Bill of Rights or any other papers,
including a sample ballot, voter guide or campaign material, into the voting
booth with you. Please remember to remove all papers when you leave the booth.
14. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to vote at your polling place any time between 7am and
8pm for state and federal elections - hours may vary for local elections. If
you are in line at your polling place when the polls close at 8pm, YOU HAVE THE
RIGHT TO VOTE.
15. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to bring your children into the voting booth with you.
If you feel that your right to vote has been violated in any way, call the
Secretary of the Commonwealth's Elections Division at 1-800-462-VOTE (8683).
This call is free within Massachusetts.
Signed:
Mitt Romney, Governor
William F. Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth
Madhu Sridhar, President, League of Women's Voters of Massachusetts.
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