Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Tarr Renews Call for Early Voting Funding
Tarr
Renews Call for Early Voting Funding
New
Information from Auditor Confirms Need for Reimbursement
Boston-
Boston-Recently
released certified cost information on the state’s new early voting law by
State Auditor Suzanne Bump has
confirmed that cities and towns have incurred significant expenses in order to
comply with the requirements of that law. State Senate Minority Leader Bruce
Tarr (R – Gloucester) has filed legislation in 2017 to facilitate financial
reimbursement for what is currently an unfunded state mandate, and is renewing
his call for the passage of that legislation.
Cost information from the Auditor details more than $1 million in costs associated
with the 2014 early voting law, which allows voters in state and certain other
elections with the opportunity to vote up to 12 days prior to an
election.
Tarr’s bill, Senate Bill
2052, An Act to Fairly Fund Early Voting,
is backed by approximately 48 lawmakers in both the House and Senate,
including Republicans and Democrats.
“Auditor Bump’s earlier report, and the information she released on Monday,
January 8, 2018 confirms our claim that cities and towns are unfairly burdened
with the cost of this state mandate. Informed by that report, the legislature
should now act swiftly to remedy this problem,” Tarr said. “Clearly early
voting has been embraced by voters throughout the state, and we should work to
ensure that it is sustainable and available in the future. Requiring that the
state fairly funds the costs incurred by municipalities for the program is an
important part of meeting those goals,” said Tarr.
The bill will also provide communities with the ability to create an Early Voting Reimbursement Fund
which could receive direct appropriations from the state.
“When the
Senate Republican Caucus initiated this bill, we identified the lack of state
support for local costs as a major impediment to the success of early voting.
Auditor Bump has now brought new light to bear on the real need for that
support” said Tarr.
The Auditor’s
office requested that each of the state’s 351 city and town clerks respond to
survey seeking information about the costs they incurred in meeting the
standards of the newly enacted early voting law. Her Division of Local Services
office certified that more than $1 million in expenses was an unfunded mandate
by the state therefore should be eligible for state reimbursement. Tarr’s bill
will facilitate such reimbursement through a statutory requirement.
The bill is
currently pending in the Joint Committee on Election Laws.
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