Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed legislation that will allow all voters in Massachusetts to cast their ballots by mail in the upcoming elections.
The Massachusetts Secretary of State’s office announced the passage of the legislation on Monday and noted that the decision allows voters to vote by mail without needing to provide an excuse in the primary and general elections in 2020. Everyone who registered to vote by Wednesday will be sent an application to receive a mail-in ballot, and those who have not registered can still apply for a mail-in ballot.
The office noted that all mail-in ballots will need to be postmarked four days before the election at the latest in order to be counted.
“If you wish to vote by mail, you are strongly encouraged to return your application as early as possible, to make sure that you will receive your ballot in time to return it and have it be counted,” the office added.
Many states have been expanding access to vote-by-mail because of the coronavirus pandemic. President Trump has vocally opposed having elections held exclusively via vote-by-mail, claiming that voting by mail is less secure than voting in person.
Trump criticized Michigan for passing similar legislation earlier this year that allowed the state to mail ballot applications to all registered voters.
