Senator Barry Finegold was elected in 2018 to represent the Second Essex and Middlesex District which includes Andover, Dracut, Lawrence and Tewksbury, a seat he previously held from 2010 to 2015. He currently serves as the Chair of the Joint Committee on Election Laws and Chair of the Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet, and Cybersecurity.
Secure and accessible elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. We need to make it as easy as possible for residents of the Commonwealth to exercise their fundamental right to vote. Their voices deserve to be heard.” - Barry
Senator Finegold currently serves as Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Election Laws, a role he previously held from 2010-2014. Elections are what make our democracy work, and Senator Finegold is committed to making elections work for the people of Massachusetts. As COVID-19 presented new challenges to our fall elections, Senator Finegold garnered bipartisan support to implement crucial and historic changes for fall 2020 elections. Under his leadership, a secure vote-by-mail system and early voting for the both the primary and general elections were available to voters for the first time in Massachusetts’ history. Realizing these new changes would increase our clerks’ workload during election season, Senator Finegold advocated for changes to poll worker requirements to make it easier for elections offices to recruit and hire help.
Key fall election reforms include:
Vote by mail
One week of early voting prior to the primary election
Two weeks of early voting prior to the general election
In-person voting on Election Day with physical distancing and PPE
Online portal to apply for early voting with ease
Adjustments to poll staffing requirements
Tools for town clerks to maintain election integrity
As an experienced leader on this issue, Senator Finegold will remain at the forefront of election reform in the months ahead.