Secretary of State William Galvin thinks Massachusetts citizens should be able to register to vote on Election Day, and he’s hoping voters will agree on Nov. 3.
In Massachusetts, residents who plan to vote on Election Day have to register to vote at least 10 days in advance, although there are some same-day registration options available for those who choose to vote early. Ballot Question 4, submitted as an initiative petition by Galvin, seeks to change that by allowing eligible voters to register on Election Day when they arrive at the polls.
The language of the petition states that voters looking to register at the polls would need to bring with them official proof of residency, such as an ID or bank statement, and sign a written oath that they are a United States citizen, over the age of 18 and live within the district they are trying to vote in. It adds that giving false information is a felony punishable by not more than five years imprisonment, a $10,000 fine or both.
Marie Gauthier with the Franklin County League of Women Voters said same-day voter registration is something the league has long been advocating for, believing that the measure will increase participation in elections.
“The right to vote for every eligible American has been a fundamental League principle since its origin, and as such, we support the removal of administrative obstacles to voting and registration. Removing those barriers to voting results in increased participation in voting and in the political process,” Gauthier said. “The more that eligible voters participate in the political process, the better our democracy works.”
Currently, 24 other states and the District of Columbia allow same-day voter registration, with the first being Maine, where it was implemented in 1973.
The proposal has gone before the Massachusetts Legislature several times in recent years, but has not made much progress. In 2024, “An Act Relative to Election Day Registration” was referred to the Joint Committee on Election Laws, which sent the bill to study, a polite way of killing the bill for the legislative session. In February 2026, “An Act Relative to Election Day Registration” was sent to the Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions, which recommended no action be taken and placed the bill on file.
Chris Ryan, the Republican State Committee member for the Franklin, Hampshire and Worcester district, said he is personally against the measure. The party as a whole has issued a “no” recommendation.
“Same-day voter registration opens the door to administrative errors, fraud and logistical nightmare that can undermine the integrity of our elections,” the MassGOP wrote in its ballot question guide.
The measure has been endorsed by the Democratic State Committee. It has also gained the support of town Democratic committees, including in Athol.
“Of course, we need to make it easy to vote,” said Margot Parrot, co-chair of the Athol Democratic Town Committee.
Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution (FCCPR), a local grassroots organization committed to progressive causes, is urging a “yes” vote on Question 4, arguing in its ballot question guide that “this reform would increase voter turnout.”
The question has also garnered the support of Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.
“Massachusetts is where American democracy began, and there is no better way to honor that legacy than by making sure every eligible resident is able to participate,” Healey said in a post shared to the Common Cause Massachusetts social media pages.
Greenfield City Clerk Kathy Scott said same-day voter registration could result in Election Day being “a little bit busier,” but what the day would ultimately look like and any changes she would need to make in how she runs elections would depend on what the Secretary of State’s Office says would need to be done to implement the measure.
“Whenever there’s a question like this, the secretary of state would provide us with guidelines. … The guidelines are going to be invaluable to us if this passes,” Scott said.
Shelburne Town Clerk Joe Judd said he does not believe swarms of people would be showing up on Election Day to register in small towns like Shelburne, but regardless, if the measure passes, he will likely have to call in another poll worker to ensure there are enough people on hand to help when someone does want to register, without holding up the line of other voters.
He also expressed concern about the practicality of the measure because currently, to register voters, he takes copies of IDs and applications, and submits them to the state computer system for verification. That system is housed at Town Hall on Bridge Street, while elections are held at Cowell Gymnasium on Maple Street. So, to register anyone on Election Day, Judd would have to take their information, leave the polls and go to Town Hall.
“I’d have to run over to Town Hall and they’d still have to wait to vote,” Judd said.
He noted the state computer system is extremely secure and he’s not worried about fraud, but same-day registration could result in errors and verification difficulties due to human errors in inputting information. Usually, if the state computer system says an individual is not eligible to register to vote, he has time to double-check that all the information is correct before an election. If that were to happen on Election Day, however, he worries about time constraints.
“I think it’s gonna cause an issue,” Judd said.
For more information about where your polling location is and what hours it’s open, visit sec.state.ma.us/WhereDoIVoteMA.
