Republican Lawmakers Challenge Massachusetts Mail-In Voting Law

MASSACHUSETTS — During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, mail-in voting options were implemented to ease fears and allow voting to still happen despite restrictions - now, some Massachusetts lawmakers are challenging the state's new mail-in and early voting law which is slated to go into effect in September.

Gov. Charlie Baker signed the VOTES Act into law in June, which will make vote-by-mail permanent, expand early in-person voting options, and extend access to the ballot for eligible incarcerated residents. On Wednesday, Republicans voiced their opposition to this new law and challenged it in Massachusetts' highest court.

The judges are expected to rule on the "no-excuse" absentee voting law later but did not say when.

If the VOTES Act continues as planned, more than 4.7 million ballot applications will be sent to voters by July 23.

The law would increase ballot access for voters with disabilities, and incarcerated individuals - but many Republican lawmakers argue that there is no longer a need for mail-in ballots as COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease and the measure was only supposed to be temporary.

Republican lawmakers argue that voters should only seek a mail ballot if they meet one of the exemptions that would keep them from being able to vote in person.

Lawyers for Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin argue that the new remains appropriate stating that "nothing in the Complaint demonstrates that the Legislature acted irrationally by implementing these reforms, notwithstanding Plaintiffs' repeated attempts to mischaracterize what the law, in fact, requires," in a legal brief obtained by AP.

If the court upholds the original plan, Massachusetts will go ahead with offering "no-excuse" needed absentee voting along with 34 other states in the country.