By Bob Katzen

Secretary of State Bill Galvin proposed legislation to allow Massachusetts voters to register and vote on Election Day. Under current law, voters must be registered at least 20 days before an election in order to be eligible to vote in it.

“Allowing voters to register on Election Day is the next step in our successful effort to expand access to the ballot,” Galvin said. “Over the past few years, my office has worked to bring online voter registration, pre-registration and early voting to Massachusetts. This is yet another way to make it easier to cast a ballot for any eligible citizen who wants to vote.”

“Secretary Galvin is again saying one thing and doing another,” said Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim, who is challenging Galvin for the Democratic nomination for secretary of state. “Although he purports to support enabling residents to register to vote on Election Day, he is actively trying to overturn a Superior Court decision that would allow for it. Likewise, he says on one hand he wants to increase voter turnout, but he schedules the primary for the day after Labor Day.”