Courtesy of mass.gov
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts’ highest court has upheld the state’s 20-day voter registration cutoff deadline.
The Supreme Judicial Court said Monday that requiring people to register to vote at least 20 days before Election Day does not violate the Massachusetts Constitution.
The court said an impartial lawmaker could “logically believe” the deadline still serves “legitimate public purposes” that transcend the harm it imposes.
Their decision overturns a lower court’s judge’s ruling last year.
Voting rights advocates had challenged the cutoff saying it potentially disenfranchises thousands of voters.
Carol Rose is executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. She called the decision a blow “not just to Massachusetts voters, but to the democratic process.”
She says it’s now up to the Legislature to change the law.
About CapeCod.com NewsCenter
