Post by Logan on Mar 21, 2016 6:44:50 GMT -6
As the presidential election approaches in November, Secretary of State William F. Galvin is pushing a proposal that would allow victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking to register to vote without making their addresses public in voter rolls.
“They shouldn’t have to give up the right to vote to be safe,” Galvin said last Wednesday in a telephone interview. “We’ve had many inquiries, especially this year as the presidential elections have been ramping up.”
The plan, which is pending before state lawmakers, would make it illegal for election officials to disclose the names and addresses of voters who qualify for confidentiality. That information would also be kept out of street listings or annual registers, according to the legislation. Galvin, the state’s top election official, cosponsored the bill.
Some victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking move to escape their perpetrators and may not register to vote in their new homes because they worry that their abusers could learn their addresses through voting records, which are public, Galvin said.
Read more: www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/03/20/domestic/b6IdOwJbLCnMva37Qb8SII/story.html
“They shouldn’t have to give up the right to vote to be safe,” Galvin said last Wednesday in a telephone interview. “We’ve had many inquiries, especially this year as the presidential elections have been ramping up.”
The plan, which is pending before state lawmakers, would make it illegal for election officials to disclose the names and addresses of voters who qualify for confidentiality. That information would also be kept out of street listings or annual registers, according to the legislation. Galvin, the state’s top election official, cosponsored the bill.
Some victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking move to escape their perpetrators and may not register to vote in their new homes because they worry that their abusers could learn their addresses through voting records, which are public, Galvin said.
Read more: www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/03/20/domestic/b6IdOwJbLCnMva37Qb8SII/story.html