Does Alan Lupo (column on April 4, 2005)
believe that poll workers who work
outside their precincts from 7 in the morning to 8 at night should not
be allowed to vote? Does he think that at-home care-takers of small
children, seniors or others who have a hardship getting to the polls
on Election Day should refrain from voting? How about those voters who
are attending school in the evening to advance their careers? Or for
that matter, voters who are holding more than one job so that they can
put food on the table and pay their rent? Not to mention those who
would find their jobs in jeopardy if they were away during working
hours?
These are all voters who cannot now vote legally by absentee ballot
under the current law in Massachusetts. And they should all be able to
vote.
Absentee voters have to fill out an application and vote by mail or in
person at the local election office. This is not an activity for the
lazy, as Mr. Lupo suggests. It is an action of those who are committed
to exercising their franchise and being a part of our great democracy.
The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts
supports a constitutional amendment that will remove current
conditions for absentee voting. The right to vote is the foundation of
our democracy. Voting should be as easy and accessible as possible.
The restrictions now placed on absentee voting are unnecessary and
complicate what should be a straightforward process.
The act of voting is the noblest expression of
the democratic process. And that's true no matter where it's done.
Voting in a public setting is superior to voting privately; what's
important is that all voters can exercise their right to vote
regardless of the circumstances that may otherwise prevent them from
participating on Election Day.
In a healthy democracy, every effort is made to
allow qualified citizens to vote. Our system is founded on the
principle of consent of the governed. This principle is weakened when
voters who want to vote can't. And we need to change that. At a time
when our country is working to secure democracy around the world, we
must do everything we can to increase participation in democracy at
home.
Massachusetts has one of the most restrictive
absentee ballot laws in the United States, not to mention a law that
is not enforceable. Twenty-four states have provisions for absentee
voting without conditions. These include California, Florida,
Wisconsin, Washington and Arizona. The governors of Michigan and
Missouri and the Ohio secretary of state have all recently proposed
unconditional absentee voting in their states.
The National American Woman Suffrage Association,
the precursor of the League of Women Voters, led the fight for women's
voting rights, and the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, marking
the end of a decades long struggle for equal voting rights for women.
Since then, the league has worked tirelessly to open the door of
democracy to all and to encourage informed and active participation of
citizens in government.
Making voting easy and accessible for eligible
voters is a must for our democratic process to survive and thrive.
It's time to fix outdated laws that restrict who can vote absentee.
The time is now to support a measure that will make voting easy and
accessible. A measure that will encourage civic engagement. A measure
that is inclusive.
Madhu Sridhar is the president of the League of
Women Voters of Massachusetts.
