Voting rights advocates in Massachusetts are applauding Governor Maura Healey's budgetary backing of new policies stemming from last year's passage of the VOTES Act. The law expands early voting options and allows all voters to cast their ballot by mail for any reason, but some municipalities are struggling to handle the expansion of mail-in voting for local springtime elections, citing a lack of personnel.

Common Cause of Massachusetts Executive Director Geoff Foster said timing of the governor's funding could not be better.

"Lack of resources or staff hopefully shouldn't be the reason why municipalities are opting out of what's a really valuable expansion to our voting laws," he said.

Healy has dedicated $5 million for grants to cities and towns to more easily manage ballot requests. 37% of Massachusetts voters cast their ballots by mail in last year's midterm elections.

Registered voters will now receive a letter in the mail each year offering the chance to opt in to mail-in voting, which can also be done online. Foster said the policy aims to improve turnout among those who may struggle with child care, work multiple jobs or those with physical challenges.

"To be able to bring democracy literally home to your kitchen table potentially to fill out a mail ballot at home at a time that that works for you, I mean that's just a win all around for our democracy," Foster said.

There is still work to be done, Foster said. The VOTES Act changed the cut-off date for voter registration from twenty days prior to an election to ten days, but voting advocates say they will continue to push for same-day voter registration. With some 150 bills meant to restrict voter access already introduced nationwide this year, voting advocates say Massachusetts is on the right track.


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The ACLU of Alabama launches a campaign to boost voter engagement. Alabama is grappling with one of the lowest voter turnouts in the country. In the 2024 presidential primary election in March, only about 25% of registered voters went to the polls.

The ACLU of Alabama aims to change this through a multiyear strategy called "Project MOVE," which stands for "Making Our Voices Echo."

JaTaune Bosby Gilchrist, executive director of the ACLU of Alabama, said they want to address barriers to voting, educate potential voters and provide essential community resources.

"We really are focusing on ensuring that we're not just protecting the right to vote, but ensuring that people have the tools that they need to know that, hey, my vote counts, and making it to the ballot box is going to impact my day-to-day. We're talking about clean water and your power bill," Bosby Gilchrist said.

She emphasized that Alabama is one of the few states without early voting, highlighting the need for a community-based approach to reach people at a local level, and added that their goal is to increase voter turnout by 5% by 2026.

Bosby Gilchrist said Project MOVE will include a three-pronged approach of surveying communities to understand their needs, actively reaching out to voters through events and canvassing, and providing critical voting information. She said by partnering with grassroots organizations, the ACLU of Alabama plans to sustain these efforts beyond the 2024 elections.

"We've got to look at those issues," she continued. "We've got to understand that what's at stake is quite honestly our ability to make sure that our voices are heard because the decisions that are made impact us."

She added that many of their efforts will be focused in Districts Two, Five and Seven, and the ACLU of Alabama has posted more information about Project MOVE and events on its website.


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The nonprofit Este Poder has a goal of helping more young people of color in rural east Texas exercise their right to vote.

The organization holds voter registration drives in Cherokee, Gregg, Nacogdoches, Smith and Wood Counties and partners with other organizations to inform people about ballot issues locally and nationally.

Arely Cruz, communications associate for the group, said they recently created student chapters at Stephen F. Austin State University and the University of Texas in Tyler.

"They promote civic engagement and do outreach into the community," Cruz explained. "We do conduct workshops in the classroom, attend community events and we are often on social media explaining the importance of voting, how to register and the steps involved in casting a ballot."

According to the Rural Democracy Initiative, people under the age of 35 are the most undecided voters and are among the least contacted by both nonpartisan and political efforts. Cruz noted while at events, volunteers also discuss issues important to students. Most said they are concerned about the environment, access to higher education and safety at schools.

In addition to in-person events, Este Poder uses social media to distribute digital campaigns, interviews with students and skits about the voting process to first time voters. Cruz added once young people are registered to vote they still need some guidance.

"They need that reminder, that there are other elections, not just the general presidential election in November, but there's also elections happening around them," Cruz emphasized. "That's where we get a lot of the questions like, why is it important for me to vote? And you get to talk about like, what precinct they live in, or the district that they live in and like who represents them."

Este Poder translates into "this power" or "east power." Cruz stressed they want to give people of color in rural east Texas the power they need to enhance their quality of life.


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The Republican National Convention is underway in Milwaukee and the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump is a focal point.

Voters and academics also wonder how democracy is being defined amid turbulent political times. There have been calls from both parties to tone down the rhetoric after the weekend shooting. But there is still finger-pointing, with Trump supporters saying he has been "demonized" by those who say he is a threat to democracy. And in condemning violence, many Democrats said Trump has contributed to the hostile environment himself.

Mary Anderson, a voter from Arbor Vitae in northern Wisconsin, agrees the mood has grown overly toxic.

"There's no compromise. No one can talk to one another," Anderson observed. "It's just so polarized and it's getting worse."

Anderson, who has had family members vote Republican, does not like Trump's overall tone, saying he is too focused on grudges. She worries how the Project 2025 plan written by allies in his circle would affect women's civil rights. Trump has tried to distance himself from the plan.

Political scientists said the democracy debate is in a deep stalemate because voters no longer have a shared vision of how it should function.

Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California, said it was not always the case. She pointed out voters used to largely agree on upholding democratic institutions in the same way. But she noted people have become disillusioned about politics, leading to more extreme actions in influencing the election process.

"We're at a state right now that even the word 'democracy' means different things, clearly, to different sets of Americans," Romero pointed out.

She explained the shift has led to different voting laws, intimidation at polling sites and, in some cases, violence. To restore healthy debate, she encouraged people to research information from nonpartisan civic engagement centers and secretaries of state. In the end, she added politicians take cues from voters who have yet to fully show they are ready to move on from the current environment.

"Every campaign and set of advisers and political strategists are always thinking about what can they do to win," Romero stressed.

In pursuit of election success, she argued a larger group of politicians will have to strongly disavow hateful ideology, leaving voters with different messaging to latch onto. Romero is part of a group of bipartisan election administrators, scholars and others releasing a new letter demanding less violent rhetoric.


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