Opinion/Letters: Mass. printed voter guide missing information on Question 4

Cape Cod Times
Published Oct 8, 2022 

I would like to inform the voting public the recently mailed "Massachusetts Information for Voters, 2022 Ballot Questions" guide is incomplete. There are four important questions for voters to decide on, however, only three are listed.

Interestingly, the request for mail-in ballots have already been mailed out as well. Secretary William Galvin was well aware of the huge grassroots effort that took place to get the fourth question, regarding eligibility for a driver's license, on the ballot, as his office decided the timeline to submit the required 40,000 signatures.

Myself and hundreds of others not only acquired the required 40,000 signatures, we more than doubled that to over 80,000 within the timeline! Why did Secretary Galvin allow both the incomplete voter's guide and request for mail-in ballots to go out when he knew voters did not have all the information needed to decide on important issues?

Please folks do not send in any ballots you receive or go to any voting booth until you are informed about the very important Question 4 so we the voters can decide on it and not Beacon Hill.

Lesley Phillips, Pocasset

Editor's note: According to the Massachusetts Secretary of State's website, Information about Question 4, regarding eligibility for driver's licenses, was not included in the voters' booklet mailed to each household because the petition was submitted after the July 2022 deadline for inclusion in the printed booklet. The question will appear on the Nov. 8 ballots statewide. Information about Question 4, and other ballot information, can be found on the Secretary of State's website at: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/ele22/information-for-voters-22/quest_4.htm

 

CCT keeps dropping this information:

The deadline for inclusion the voter guide was in July 2022 and signature collection for Question 4 was not completed until September 7, 2022.

Question 4 information can be found online at this link:

https://www.sec.state.ma.us/.../information.../quest_4.htm

SEC.STATE.MA.US

Elections: 2022 Information For Voters

2022 Information For Voters

Question #4 - Eligibility for Driver’s Licenses

On September 9, 2022, the Elections Division certified that a referendum petition for a ballot question that was submitted on September 7, 2022 had been signed by enough registered voters to qualify for placement on the November 8, 2022 State Election Ballot. 

Because this petition was submitted after the July 2022 deadline for inclusion in the printed Information for Voters booklet that is mailed to each household, this question is not listed in that voter guide. The question will, however, be listed on each November 8 State Election ballot as Question #4.

QUESTION

Do you approve of a law summarized below, which was approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate on May 26, 2022?

SUMMARY

This law allows Massachusetts residents who cannot provide proof of lawful presence in the United States to obtain a standard driver’s license or learner’s permit if they meet all the other qualifications for a standard license or learner’s permit, including a road test and insurance, and provide proof of their identity, date of birth, and residency. The law provides that, when processing an application for such a license or learner’s permit or motor vehicle registration, the registrar of motor vehicles may not ask about or create a record of the citizenship or immigration status of the applicant, except as otherwise required by law. This law does not allow people who cannot provide proof of lawful presence in the United States to obtain a REAL ID.

To prove identity and date of birth, the law requires an applicant to present at least two documents, one from each of the following categories: (1) a valid unexpired foreign passport or a valid unexpired Consular Identification document; and (2) a valid unexpired driver’s license from any United States state or territory, an original or certified copy of a birth certificate, a valid unexpired foreign national identification card, a valid unexpired foreign driver’s license, or a marriage certificate or divorce decree issued by any state or territory of the United States. One of the documents presented by an applicant must include a photograph and one must include a date of birth. Any documents not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. The registrar may review any documents issued by another country to determine whether they may be used as proof of identity or date of birth.

The law requires that applicants for a driver’s license or learner’s permit shall attest, under the pains and penalties of perjury, that their license has not been suspended or revoked in any other state, country, or jurisdiction.

The law specifies that information provided by or relating to any applicant or license-holder will not be a public record and shall not be disclosed, except as required by federal law or as authorized by Attorney General regulations, and except for purposes of motor vehicle insurance.

The law directs the registrar of motor vehicles to make regulations regarding the documents required of United States citizens and others who provide proof of lawful presence with their license application.

The law also requires the registrar and the Secretary of the Commonwealth to establish procedures and regulations to ensure that an applicant for a standard driver’s license or learner’s permit who does not provide proof of lawful presence will not be automatically registered to vote.

The law takes effect on July 1, 2023.

WHAT YOUR VOTE WILL DO

A YES VOTE would keep in place the law, which would allow Massachusetts residents who cannot provide proof of lawful presence in the United States to obtain a driver’s license or permit if they meet the other requirements for doing so.
 
A NO VOTE would repeal this law.

See full text of existing law

ARGUMENTS

As provided by law, the 150-word arguments are written by proponents and opponents of each question, and reflect their opinions. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts does not endorse these arguments, and does not certify the truth or accuracy of any statement made in these arguments. The names of the individuals and organizations who wrote each argument, and any written comments by others about each argument, are on file in the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

IN FAVOR: A YES vote will keep in place a law that allows all drivers in Massachusetts to be properly vetted for licenses (by providing proof of identity, date of birth, and residency), pass required tests and buy insurance, regardless of immigration status.

A YES vote means safer roads and better tools for law enforcement to do their jobs. In 17 states with similar laws, passage led to declines in uninsured drivers and hit-and-run crashes. That’s why this measure is endorsed by over 60 law enforcement officials statewide—including most sheriffs, district attorneys, and all 42 police chiefs in the Massachusetts Major Cities Chief of Police Association.

Voting YES helps families and workers by ensuring they can drive legally to school and work. It makes sense for all of us.

That is what Massachusetts law provides and a YES vote will keep in place.

Franklin Soults
Yes on 4 for Safer Roads
P.O. Box 15 Readville, MA 02137
Saferroadsma.com

AGAINST: In his veto message of this bill, Governor Charlie Baker made it known that the Registry of Motor Vehicles does not have the capability or expertise necessary to verify documents from other countries and notes that, if this bill becomes law, Massachusetts drivers’ licenses will no longer confirm that a person is who they say they are.

Additionally, Governor Baker states the bill specifically restricts the Registry’s ability to share citizenship information with entities responsible for ensuring only citizens register to vote and vote in our elections, significantly increasing the likelihood that noncitizens will register to vote.

This bill is patently unfair to those who have taken the time to immigrate to our great country via legal means and significantly diminishes the public safety of all residents of the Commonwealth.

We urge a no vote on this issue.

John Milligan
Fair and Secure Massachusetts
PO Box 116
North Andover, MA 01845
781-819-3201
FairandSecureMA.com

https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/ele22/information-for-voters-22/quest_4.htm

The right wingers in MASSACHUSETTS are working themselves into a lather because a BALLOT QUESTION was ommitted from the MAILING sent by the Secretary of State.

The BALLOT QUESTION was submitted LATE - after the booklet was printed! The statutory deadlines are published....one needs to ask if the MASS GOP screwed up and wants to blame others instead of acknowledging the FACTS.

Instead of making false accusations and speculating, gather some FACTS.

I would be more inclined to quess that the MASS GOP was the prime proponent of this BALLOT question and they can't raise funds. Donors are avoiding the PARTY due to the extremist policies.

These people are paying taxes, contributing to their communities and should be allowed to drive legally.

Figure out who delayed in getting the BALLOT to the Secretary of Stateon time.

excerpts:

Question 4

Meanwhile, a committee backing Question 4 -- which seeks to repeal a new state law authorizing state drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants -- is also continuing to raise money for its campaign.

The Committee for a Fair And Secure Massachusetts collected $45,104 in the most recent period, from about 100 individual contributions ranging from $10 to 10,000 according to its filings. The group has received about $124,000 to date.

But opponents of the new law are being vastly out-raised by supporters.

The Vote YES for Work and Family Mobility committee, which supports the law, has raised more than $1.1 million to date, including more than $900,000 in the recent two-week period.

One of the biggest contributors was from Arbella Insurance Group, a Quincy-based auto insurance company, which gave $200,000 to the committee, filings show. The company's CEO, John Donohue, personally gave $25,000.

To be sure, insurers stand to get thousands of new customers in the state with undocumented individuals authorized under the new law to get insurance.

The committee received another large contribution from SEIU 1199, the state's largest healthcare union, which gave $150,000 during the previous period. Two other unions, SEIU Locals 509 and 32BJ, contributed a combined $325,000.

In Massachusetts, the sky’s the limit for contributions to ballot question committees. Unlike contributions to individual candidates, donations to referendum campaigns are unrestricted, and corporations often get involved, as do special interests, labor unions and others.

https://www.eagletribune.com/news/boston/ballot-committees-raking-in-cash-for-referendums/article_1d5be942-44b9-11ed-896b-0f3f8b4eaa2e.html

This is a divisive issue seized on by the MASS GOP because they have few other issues to reasonably address and seek inflammatory and emotional issues lacking substance just as Republicans are doing nationally.

The outcome will be a continued decline in registered Republican voters and the possibiity of losing more seats.

If you scrutinize the Republicans running for office, you'll find many have never previously held public office, many are clearly unqualified. Last election, Republicans supported 2 QANON candidates to run against incumbents, several who couldn't address issues and Republican losers sued even though they only garnered ~ 30% of the vote.

This is a losing BALLOT QUESTION! Prepare yourselves!