www.stanrosenberg.com/info/motor.html -
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Published on: 2/6/2006
Last Visited: 4/24/2007
The following is information from state Senator Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst), then Senate chairman of the Election Laws Committee and chief sponsor of the bill, released on that day.
State Senator Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst) announced today that the governor's signature on the so-called "motor voter bill" means that Massachusetts will soon have one of the most modern, efficient and convenient voter registration systems in the country.
Rosenberg, the Senate chairman of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Election Laws, said the passage of this law is the culmination of several years' of working closely with the Secretary of State's Office, the Massachusetts Town and City Clerks Associa- tion and a coalition of voter registration reform groups led by the League of Women Voters.
Rosenberg noted that the National League of Women Voters just last year rated Massachusetts as having one of the most restrictive voter registration systems in the country.
"Last year we were one of the 13 most difficult states for voter registration," Rosenberg said."Now we're one of the easiest."
In addition, Rosenberg said the new law brings the state into compliance with the National Voter Registration Act signed by President Clinton early last year.
"We're one of the first state's in the nation to comply with the federal law," Rosenberg said."We came the furthest of any state in the shortest amount of time."
Rosenberg, who has sponsored numerous voter registration reform bills during the last several years, said the motor voter law will create a new, streamlined voter registration system that saves taxpayer dollars while encouraging voter participation.
"One of my core political beliefs is that our democracy works best when citizens participate," Rosenberg said."And voting is one of the most powerful ways a citizen can partake in government.Although this law does not guarantee greater voter participation, it does make the critical act of registering to vote more conve- nient and accommodating to the demands of modern life.This is a satisfying victory."
According to Rosenberg, the new law will enhance the efficien- cy of the system by creating a computerized central registry in the Secretary of State's office.
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"Between the demands of work and the responsibilities of family, there's often no time for a trip to the town or city clerk's office," Rosenberg said.