CONCORD – On Thursday, the Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee passed Amendment #1574s to HB 1266. As amended, HB 1266 makes temporary modifications to the absentee voter registration, absentee ballot application, and absentee voting processes in response to the novel coronavirus disease.

After the vote, Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Chair Melanie Levesque, D-Brookline, and Vice Chair Tom Sherman, D-Rye, issued the following statements:

“Throughout this crisis, it has become abundantly clear that changes must be made to our election process in order to ensure continued access to the polls and the protection of public health and safety,” Levesque wrote. “The measures outlined in HB 1266 put public health at the forefront while delivering free and fair elections.”

Sherman added, “The temporary measures taken in HB 1266, as amended, were developed directly out of the recommendations made by the Secretary of State’s Select Committee on 2020 Emergency Election Support including changes to the absentee voter registration, absentee ballot application, and absentee voting processes. No one should miss their opportunity to have their voice heard due to fear of COVID-19. These temporary measures ensure that every eligible voter is able to participate in the 2020 state primary and general elections without choosing between their health and their right to vote.”

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