What you need to know about Question 4: Letting voters register on Election Day

If Question 4 passes, eligible voters in Massachusetts would be able to register to vote or to change the address on their voter registration on Election Day. Right now, the deadline is 10 days before an election.

To register, voters would have to go to their local polling places with proof of residency. This can be a lease with your name on it, a utility bill or a photo ID with an updated address. Clerks at the polling place would process their registration, have them sign an oath and then send them off to cast their votes.

What do supporters say?

Supporters say allowing people to register to vote on Election Day would help increase voter turnout since people would have one less deadline to remember and one less hurdle to clear.

“This law provides maximum voter access with rigorous security safeguards. It is a common-sense reform that guarantees every eligible voice is heard,” wrote Norma B. Shulman of the YES on Election Day Registration campaign.

Massachusetts is the only New England state that does not allow people to register to vote on Election Day, though Rhode Island only allows those who do so to vote for president and vice president.

What do opponents say?

The Massachusetts Republican Party is opposed to the idea. Chair Amy Carnevale said allowing people to register on Election Day would be too burdensome for poll workers and that they won’t have the time or resources to verify people’s documents.

“Errors, false statements or conflicting records that escape detection may not be discovered until after the ballot has been cast and commingled with all others, when it can no longer be identified or withdrawn,” Carnevale wrote.

Who is paying for this?

A group calledYES on Election Day Voter Registration has spent more than $150,000 supporting this measure. Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s campaign committee gave $79,000 to the effort.

No one has formed an official ballot question campaign committee against this measure, so the state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance is not tracking spending opposing it.

Bottom line:

A “Yes” vote would let eligible voters register to vote or change their addresses on Election Day starting in 2028. A “No” vote would keep the law as it is.

More resources:

• Video: A debate of Question 4 on Boston Public Radio
• Summary from the Secretary of State’s Office
• Attorney General’s summary of the law
• Video: A special committee hearing on Question 4