Automatic Voter Registration Coalition Lobby Day June 28, :00-12:00, Room 428

Transcription

1 Automatic Voter Registration Coalition Lobby Day June 28, :00-12:00, Room 428 The Goals of Lobby Day: The main goal of lobbying today is to increase support for Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) in the legislature. Specifically, we hope to add 10 cosponsors to the AVR legislation and to broaden the base of support among undecided lawmakers. We also hope that you learn more about the process of lobbying and about how to talk about AVR. Lobbying is nothing more than speaking with an official about an issue that you care about and trying to convince them to share your views. Legislation Overview: Automatic Voter Registration is being considered in both the House (H.2091) and the Senate (S.373). AVR would switch Massachusetts voter registration from an opt-in system to an optout one, expanding access to our democracy. In addition, AVR would make our system more accurate and secure. Schedule for Today: 9:30 Registration 10:00 Program 10:23 Break into regional groups for questions and role play 10:50 Leave for first lobbying meeting 11:00 House meetings 11:30 Senate meetings Packet Contents: 1) Schedule of Meetings 2) AVR Talking Points 3) How to Lobby Tip Sheet 4) Sample Pitch 5) Senate and House Office Directories/Full Cosponsor List 6) State House Map 7) Feedback Forms 8) Flyer to Leave with Legislators (2)

2 AVR Talking Points Topline Message: All eligible Massachusetts residents have the constitutional right to participate in our elections. Nothing should stand in the way of a voter having their voice heard and their vote counted in our democracy. Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) is a vital step to making sure that all Bay Staters have an equal voice in the political process by allowing voters to automatically register to vote when they interact with key state agencies. It will modernize our voter registration system to make it more accurate, secure, and cost-effective. Why we need it: 680,000 eligible Massachusetts voters are not registered AVR will help give them a voice in our democracy. AVR will help protect the fundamental right of every American to have their vote counted on Election Day. AVR will improve the accuracy and security of our voter rolls. AVR will eliminate much of the human error that comes with paper forms, more frequently update records when people move, and eliminate duplicate records. AVR could save Massachusetts money in the long run. How it works: AVR seamlessly integrates voter registration procedures into RMV, MassHealth, and other social service agencies that already provide voter registration services under the federal Motor Voter Law. Once an agency collects the information required to register to vote, this information is electronically transferred to the central voter database and local registrars without additional forms or paperwork. Local registrars then add those that are eligible to vote and not already registered to their official voting rolls. Voters can choose a political party or decline to be registered for any reason. Massachusetts would also join the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a national clearinghouse that collects registration information and compares it with that of other states and other state and federal databases to assure accuracy and security of voting lists. The AVR legislation under consideration imposes a criminal penalty of up to a $10,000 fine and/or 5 years imprisonment for anyone who knowingly provides false registration information. Success in other states: AVR has passed in 8 other states (Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Oregon, Vermont, and West Virginia), plus Washington, D.C. 32 additional states are currently considering AVR legislation.

3 After passing AVR in Oregon, over 230,000 new voters were added to the state s rolls in just six months. More than 97,000 of these new Oregon voters participated in the 2016 election. AVR updated 570,000 inaccurate Oregon addresses. Partly due to AVR, Oregon had a 4.1 percent increase in voter turnout, one of the largest increases between 2012 and 2016 among eligible voters. AVR increased voter registration among Oregon s most mobile populations and in some of its poorest communities. The AVR bill s status in the State House: There are two Automatic Voter Registration bills that we are supporting: S. 373 and H They are sponsored by Senator Cynthia Creem and Representative Peter Kocot, plus 22 other Senators and 80 Representatives. The bills were recently heard by the Joint Committee on Election Laws. Last session, the Committee favorably reported out a similar bill. The MA Town Clerks Association testified that they were fine with the bill if there was sufficient funding for implementation. Implementation costs can be easily and fully covered by the State s Federal Help America Vote account. Countering opposition: Voter Registration is not that hard. People should have to make an effort to register. o American democracy should work for us all, not give some people voice and power while shutting out others. For many (especially low-income people, people of color, young people, and people working multiple jobs), it s unnecessarily burdensome to keep voter registration up-to-date and navigate the voter registration bureaucracy. Automatic voter registration is a vital step to making sure that all Americans have an equal voice in the political process by allowing voters to automatically register to vote when they interact with a state agency. Won t this reform register non-citizens? o No. Voters must already indicate citizenship when they register to vote, and only those that do so will be registered to vote with automatic voter registration. There is a fail-safe in the bill to hold harmless anyone who is registered inappropriately as well as tough penalties for those that knowingly misrepresent their citizenship status. Automatic Voter Registration will infringe on people s privacy. o AVR does not make voter registration any less private than it already is; it simply registers more people. The decision to decline registration is not public. Automatic Voter Registration will increase fraud. o Because automatic voter registration happens in state offices and involves eligible voters showing documentation, it actually increases security and decreases errors, especially over processes conducted by third parties. In addition, the legislation requires Massachusetts to join ERIC to further eliminate duplicate or other inaccurate registrations.

4 Tips on How to Lobby Your Legislator Lobbying is the act of talking to officials about the merits of your position. It is an important, normal, and common everyday occurrence for lawmakers. Your goal is to influence their position based on your knowledge and understanding of the issues. Below are some DOs and DON Ts of lobbying to help make your experience as positive and effective as possible: DO: Address your Senator or Representative using his or her formal title. Identify yourself immediately and establish clearly that you are a constituent. Know the name, bill number, and status of the legislation you are discussing. Use your own words to describe why you care about the issue. Be brief and clear, polite and reasonable. Whenever possible, establish your own credentials or expertise on the subject. Familiarize yourself with any counter arguments to your position and develop responses. Treat office staff and aides courteously. Their cooperation can make or break your chances of reaching elected officials themselves. Know that you may meet with an aide instead of the legislator. Give officials succinct, easy-to-read literature; highlight important facts and arguments and include your contact information. Keep the door open for further discussion in spite of any apparently negative attitudes. DON T: Arrive unprepared. Discuss more than one bill or issue at a time, unless you re asked to do so. Act rudely or angrily toward legislators or their staff regardless of what you feel. Argue although it is important to state any counter information in a friendly way. Back recalcitrant legislators into a corner keep an open door for ongoing communication. Overstay your welcome.

5 Sample Pitch A pitch has three brief pieces: 1. Your story/why you care 2. One or two facts or data points that make a case for your issue 3. A specific ask For lobby day, if you are part of a group, #1 is most important. You will also want to have your designated point person make the ask, rather than having 10 people repeating the same sentence. A sample pitch for Automatic Voter Registration might look like this: 1. My Story My name is Janet Domenitz, and I live on Alpine Street in Cambridge. I have 2 sons, aged 19 and 21. When my older one came of age to vote a few years ago, we didn't even have online voter registration yet in MA. Now we do, and that's great, but there are still too many barriers to registration, especially for young people. That's why I care about getting automatic voter registration passed here. My name is xxx, I live on xxx street. I have lived in our community for many years. But my brother, who also lives here, seems to move every 6 months. He has a really hard time keeping his voter registration up to date and missed the last election even though he updated his driver s license the last time he moved. That's unnecessary, and with AVR he would have been able to vote. 2. One or Two Facts Here are several choices, but limit yourself to two so you don t overwhelm them: Eight other states and Washington, D.C. have already approved automatic voter registration, and it works. A report was just issued about AVR in the state of Oregon, and it showed that 570,000 people had their addresses corrected, 270,000 were registered to vote, and 100,000 new registrants voted in November after just 6 months of implementation. We are one of 32 states which have legislation pending for AVR the momentum for it is growing. One in 4 eligible voters are not registered, which adds up to over half a million people in Massachusetts and tens of millions around the country. Early voting was such a success here. This bill is the next step in making voting better in Massachusetts.

6 3. A Specific Request You need to know whether the legislator you are meeting with is a cosponsor of the bill. If he or she is a cosponsor, then: 1. Thank them for their support (best to do this at the BEGINNING of the meeting too). 2. Ask that they convey their support to the House Speaker or Senate President and tell him that they think it is a good bill to bring to the floor for a vote. If he or she is not a cosponsor, then: 1. Ask them to please sign on as a cosponsor of this bill. At this time, the Senate bill (S. 373) is still open for cosponsors from both the House and the Senate.

7 Senate Offices Directory Cosponsors of S.373 and/or H.2091 in bold Name Party Room Phone Michael Barrett (D) Room Joseph Boncore (D) Room Michael Brady (D) Room William Brownsberger (D) Room Harriette L. Chandler (D) Room Sonia Chang-Diaz (D) Room Cynthia Stone Creem (D) Room 312A Julian Cyr (D) Room Viriato demacedo (R) Room 313C Sal N. DiDomenico (D) Room Kenneth J. Donnelly (D) Room 413D Eileen Donoghue (D) Room James B. Eldridge (D) Room Ryan Fattman (R) Room 213A Jennifer L. Flanagan (D) Room 312D Linda Forry (D) Room Anne Gobi (D) Room Adam Hinds (D) Room Donald Humason (R) Room 313A Patricia D. Jehlen (D) Room John F. Keenan (D) Room 413F Barbara L'Italien (D) Room 109E Eric Lesser (D) Room 413C Jason Lewis (D) Room 511B Joan Lovely (D) Room 413A Thomas M. McGee (D) Room 109C Mark C. Montigny (D) Room 312C Michael O. Moore (D) Room 109B Patrick O'Connor (R) Room Kathleen O'Connor Ives (D) Room Marc R. Pacheco (D) Room 312B Michael J. Rodrigues (D) Room 109D Stanley C. Rosenberg (D) Room Richard J. Ross (R) Room Michael F. Rush (D) Room 511C Karen Spilka (D) Room Bruce E. Tarr (R) Room James E. Timilty (D) Room 213B James T. Welch (D) Room 413B

8 House Offices Directory Cosponsors of S.373 and/or H.2091 in bold Name Party Room Phone James Arciero (D) Room Brian Ashe (D) Room Cory Atkins (D) Room Bruce J. Ayers (D) Room Ruth B. Balser (D) Room Christine Barber (D) Room 473F F. Jay Barrows (R) Room Jennifer E. Benson (D) Room Donald Berthiaume (R) Room Nicholas A. Boldyga (R) Room Paul A. Brodeur (D) Room Antonio F.D. Cabral (D) Room Daniel Cahill (D) Room 527A Thomas J. Calter (D) Room Kate Campanale (R) Room Linda Dean Campbell (D) Room James M. Cantwell (D) Room Evandro Carvalho (D) Room Gerard Cassidy (D) Room Tackey Chan (D) Room Nick Collins (D) Room Mike Connolly (D) Room Edward F. Coppinger (D) Room Brendan Crighton (D) Room William Crocker (R) Room Claire Cronin (D) Room Daniel Cullinane (D) Room 527A Mark J. Cusack (D) Room Josh Cutler (D) Room Angelo L. D'Emilia (R) Room Michael Day (D) Room 473F Marjorie Decker (D) Room David DeCoste (R) Room Robert A. DeLeo (D) Room Brian S. Dempsey (D) Room Geoffrey G. Diehl (R) Room Diana DiZoglio (D) Room Daniel Donahue (D) Room Paul J. Donato (D) Room

9 Shawn Dooley (R) Room William Driscoll (D) Room Michelle DuBois (D) Room Peter Durant (D) Room James J. Dwyer (D) Room Carolyn C. Dykema (D) Room Lori A. Ehrlich (D) Room Tricia Farley-Bouvier (D) Room Kimberly N. Ferguson (R) Room 473B Dylan Fernandes (D) Room Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D) Room Michael J. Finn (D) Room Carole Fiola (D) Room Paul Frost (R) Room William C. Galvin (D) Room Sean Garballey (D) Room Denise C. Garlick (D) Room Colleen M. Garry (D) Room Carmine Gentile (D) Room Susan Williams Gifford (R) Room Thomas A. Golden Jr. (D) Room 473B Solomon Goldstein-Rose (D) Room Carlos Gonzales (D) Room Kenneth Gordon (D) Room Danielle Gregoire (D) Room Patricia Haddad (D) Room Sheila Harrington (R) Room Stephan Hay (D) Room Jonathan Hecht (D) Room Paul Heroux (D) Room Natalie Higgins (D) Room Bradford Hill (R) Room Kate Hogan (D) Room Russell E. Holmes (D) Room Kevin G. Honan (D) Room Steven S. Howitt (R) Room Daniel Hunt (D) Room Randy Hunt (R) Room Bradley H. Jones, Jr (R) Room Louis L. Kafka (D) Room Hannah Kane (R) Room Jay R. Kaufman (D) Room Mary Keefe (D) Room 437F James Kelcourse (R) Room Kay Khan (D) Room

10 Peter V. Kocot (D) Room Robert M. Koczera (D) Room Stephen Kulik (D) Room Kevin J. Kuros (R) Room John J. Lawn (D) Room Jack Lewis (D) Room David Paul Linsky (D) Room Jay Livingstone (D) Room Marc T. Lombardo (R) Room James J. Lyons, Jr. (R) Room Adrian Madaro (D) Room 437B John J. Mahoney (D) Room Elizabeth A. Malia (D) Room Ronald Mariano (D) Room Paul W. Mark (D) Room Christopher M. Markey (D) Room 527A Juana Matias (D) Room Joseph McGonagle (D) Room Joseph McKenna (R) Room Paul McMurtry (D) Room Joan Meschino (D) Room James Miceli (D) Room Aaron M. Michlewitz (D) Room Leonard Mirra (R) Room Rady Mom (D) Room Frank Moran (D) Room Michael J. Moran (D) Room David Muradian (R) Room Mathew Muratore (R) Room James M. Murphy (D) Room Brian Murray (D) Room David M. Nangle (D) Room Harold P. Naughton, Jr. (D) Room Shaunna O'Connell (R) Room James J. O'Day (D) Room Keiko M. Orrall (R) Room Jerald A. Parisella (D) Room Sarah K. Peake (D) Room Alice Hanlon Peisch (D) Room 473G Thomas M. Petrolati (D) Room William Smitty Pignatelli (D) Room Elizabeth A. Poirier (R) Room Denise Provost (D) Room 473B Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. (D) Room David Rogers (D) Room

11 John H. Rogers (D) Room Jeffery Roy (D) Room Byron Rushing (D) Room Daniel Ryan (D) Room Jeffrey Sanchez (D) Room Angelo M. Scaccia (D) Room Paul A. Schmid (D) Room John W. Scibak (D) Room Alan Silvia (D) Room Frank I. Smizik (D) Room Todd M. Smola (R) Room Theodore C. Speliotis (D) Room Thomas M. Stanley (D) Room William M. Straus (D) Room Jose Tosado (D) Room Paul Tucker (D) Room Chynah Tyler (D) Room Steven Ultrino (D) Room Aaron Vega (D) Room John Velis (D) Room David T. Vieira (R) Room RoseLee Vincent (D) Room 473F Joseph F. Wagner (D) Room Chris Walsh (D) Room 473G Thomas Walsh (D) Room Timothy Whelan (R) Room Susannah Whipps (R) Room Bud Williams (D) Room Donald H. Wong (R) Room Jonathan Zlotnik (D) Room

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14 Feedback Form -- REPRESENTATIVE Name(s): Phone #: Name of Representative: Person (and title) from office you met with: Is the Representative a cosponsor? Please check one for each. Before meeting: [ ] YES [ ] NO Agreed to cosponsor at meeting?: [ ] YES [ ] NO [ ] WAS ALREADY COSPONSOR Does the Representative support? Please circle one. H.2091/S Confirmed supporter 2 Leaning in favor 3 Undecided 4 Leaning opposed 5 Definitely opposed 6 Unknown Highlights of the conversation: (points raised, questions, concerns) Please return to Pam Wilmot (pwilmot@commoncause.org) or Devon Nir (dnir@commoncause.org), or fax to (617)

15 Feedback Form -- SENATOR Name(s): Phone #: Name of Senator: Person (and title) from office you met with: Is the Senator a cosponsor? Please check one for each. Before meeting: [ ] YES [ ] NO Agreed to cosponsor at meeting?: [ ] YES [ ] NO [ ] WAS ALREADY COSPONSOR Does the Senator support? Please circle one. H.2091/S Confirmed supporter 2 Leaning in favor 3 Undecided 4 Leaning opposed 5 Definitely opposed 6 Unknown Highlights of the conversation: (points raised, questions, concerns) Please return to Pam Wilmot (pwilmot@commoncause.org) or Devon Nir (dnir@commoncause.org), or fax to (617)

16 Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) S.373 and H.2091 Lead sponsors: Senator Cynthia Creem and Representative Peter Kocot Cosponsors: 21 Senators and 79 Representatives Why we need it: 680,000 eligible Massachusetts voters are not registered AVR will help give them a voice in our democracy. AVR will help protect the fundamental right of every American to have their vote counted on Election Day. AVR will improve the accuracy and security of our rolls. AVR will eliminate much of the human error that comes with paper forms, will more frequently update records when people move, and will eliminate duplicate records. AVR could save Massachusetts money in the long run. How it works: AVR seamlessly integrates voter registration procedures into RMV, MassHealth, and other social service agencies that already provide voter registration services under the federal Motor Voter Law. Once an agency collects the information required to register to vote, this information is electronically transferred to the central voter database and local registrars without additional forms or paperwork. Local registrars then add those that are eligible to vote and not already registered to their official voting rolls. Voters can choose a political party or decline to be registered for any reason. Massachusetts would also join the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a national clearinghouse that collects registration information and compares it with that of other states and other state and federal databases to assure accuracy and security of voting lists. These bills impose a criminal penalty of up to a $10,000 fine and/or 5 years imprisonment for anyone who knowingly provides false registration information.

17 Success in other states: AVR has been passed in 8 other states (Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Oregon, Vermont, and West Virginia), plus Washington D.C. 32 additional states are currently considering AVR legislation. After passing AVR in Oregon, over 230,000 new voters were added to the state s rolls in just six months. More than 97,000 of these new voters participated in the 2016 election. AVR updated 570,000 inaccurate Oregon addresses. Partly due to AVR, Oregon had a 4.1 percent increase in voter turnout, one of the largest increases between 2012 and 2016 among eligible voters. AVR increased voter registration among Oregon s most mobile populations and in some of its poorest communities. 49 (and counting) supporting groups: Action Together Western Mass AFSC - Cambridge Berkshire Democratic Brigades Berkshire Women's Action Group Black Directors Network Boston Democratic Ward 4 Committee Boston Teachers Union CAST (Cambridge Area Stronger Together) Cambridge Democratic City Committee Clean Water Action Coalition for Social Justice College Democrats of MA Common Cause Massachusetts Democracy for America Democracy Matters Environmental League of MA Action Fund ForwardMA Garrison Trotter Neighborhood Association Green Tea Party Indivisible (Many chapters) Jewish Association for Law and Social Action (JALSA) Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice League of Women Voters of Massachusetts Lift Every Vote Mass Affordable Housing Alliance Mass Law Reform Institute Massachusetts Jobs with Justice Massachusetts Peace Action Massachusetts Senior Action Coucil Massachusetts Teachers Association Massachusetts Voter Table MASSPIRG MassVOTE NAACP Boston National Association of Social Workers, Massachusetts Chapter Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts Education Fund New England United for Justice Our Revolution Cambridge PHENOM (Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts) Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts Progressive Democrats of America, Boston chapter Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts Progressive Massachusetts SEIU Local 509 SEIU Massachusetts State Council Sierra Club Small Planet Institute Union of Minority Neighborhoods In September 2015, a Boston Globe editorial urged AVR adoption: The measure simply reverses the status quo: Would-be voters currently have to opt in to get enrolled; soon, voter registration will happen by default when receiving or renewing a license from the department of motor vehicles. So the onus now rests with the government, and not with citizens. The right to vote is granted automatically and without unnecessary barriers, as it should be, unless the individual opts out Critics of universal automatic registration say it could lead to voter fraud, since the new system potentially could enroll people who shouldn t be on the voter lists. But modernizing the process and relying on technology will only make voter lists more accurate and the system more cost-efficient.