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Mail-in voting, election security, and the census: Here’s what the Dem. Secretary of State candidates said
"It’s time for greater transparency in the office and the time to do so is now."
The primary election for the Secretary of State of Massachusetts has become an intergenerational debate over who best represents the state in matters of voter equity, historical preservation, and election maintenance.
Tanisha Sullivan, the 48-year-old president of the NAACP Boston, is challenging longtime incumbent William Galvin, who has held the position for seven consecutive terms.
While Galvin has been in office since 1995, Sullivan, who has never held political office, was the Democratic Party’s pick at the state convention in June.
The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth is the state’s top election official and is also responsible for state documents such as deeds, business registration, and historical and public records.
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Sullivan and Galvin are set to face off in the Democratic primary Tuesday, Sept. 6. The winner is expected to challenge Republican nominee Rayla Campbell, who is running unopposed.
The two Democratic candidates answered questions for Boston.com on the key issues that shape the position. Read their answers below.
Your term precedes the next census. How would you use the four years to adequately prepare so that Mass. residents are accurately counted?
Galvin: The best strategy is to educate the community and have meaningful conversations about the census. Listen to concerns, then explain why filling out the census form is in everyone’s best interest. With so much at stake, such as congressional apportionment and accurate population numbers that determine federal money for services people use, it’s more important than ever to have these conversations.
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Sullivan: Every ten years, elected leaders prepare our communities for “an undercount.” We are told which communities can be expected to be part of that undercount and they are primarily communities with higher numbers of people of color, immigrants, and low income people. When I’ve participated in census counting, people will say they don’t trust the government and don’t want the government in “their business.” As Secretary of State, I will begin day one working to establish trust with these communities to help build confidence in the census count. I will do so by ensuring the [Secretary of State] office has a consistent presence in communities and is working alongside trusted community based organizations. It requires more than writing a check to pay for outreach, there must be a physical presence in these communities to establish the trust needed to break the cycle of census undercounts. This is critically important because low census counts impact the funding communities receive, and our most vulnerable communities need that funding support.
Massachusetts has been called “the least transparent state in the country.” How do you plan to improve and implement transparency in public access to both current and historical records?
Galvin: I have vigorously enforced the right of citizens to gain access to all types of public records. I am also pushing legislation that would make the Governor’s Office subject to the public records law because I firmly believe that more transparency means more accountability. It is also important to note that all candidates running for Governor agree with me on this legislation. It’s time for greater transparency in the office and the time to do so is now.
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Sullivan: Massachusetts is the birthplace of our democracy and to have the shadow of this moniker is an embarrassment. We should be the most transparent and accessible government. As the chief information officer, the Secretary has an important responsibility of ensuring the public has timely access to public records and information. This is a critical check and balance in our democracy. As Secretary of State, I will work in partnership with our legislature to address the blanket public records exemptions applied to our state government and convene stakeholders to identify critical exemptions to public disclosure.
What are your thoughts on the VOTES act excluding same-day voter registration? How exactly would you implement or suppress it while in office?
Galvin: I will continue to advocate for Election Day Registration in Massachusetts, as I’ve done for the last 15 years. While I’ve been successful in working to get legislation passed to make voting easier and modernize our election laws, including in-person early voting and early voting by mail, the Legislature has not thus far approved Election Day Registration. But that doesn’t mean I won’t stop fighting to get it passed. Election Day Registration improves the voting process and is safe and secure. A top priority for me is to finally get Election Day Registration passed and implemented in Massachusetts.
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Sullivan: Maine adopted same-day voter registration in 1973, nearly a half century ago. Since that time, twenty other states, including all other New England states, have adopted some form of same-day voter registration. As a result, other states have knocked down one of the biggest barriers to voting for people of color, working people, low-income communities, and other vulnerable communities. Massachusetts still does not have [same-day registration] … as Secretary, I will get this done by partnering with voting rights organizations and community stakeholders to help educate the public about election day registration, supporting efforts to explore the possibility of a ballot question to give MA voters the opportunity to decide for themselves, and providing additional support to local elections officials to assist with implementation of this important right.
How would you advise potential voters who may have concerns about mail-in voting and election security in general?
Galvin: I have insisted on using only paper ballots in Massachusetts and maintaining a closed network of voter registration information, which is accessed via the internet. We have also created elaborate firewalls and security procedures to protect this system. We’ve been working with our local election officials to ensure they are trained and have assisted them in creating continuity of operations plans for both cyber incidents as well as other issues that could impact election administration.
Sullivan: As a civil rights leader, I understand how critically important it is to have secure and accessible elections we can trust. This is a cornerstone to a strong democracy. The January 6th insurrection reminds us that our democracy is still young and fragile. The threats against our democracy are both foreign and domestic; therefore, we cannot take for granted that the civil rights we gained in the 60s and 70s will remain. As Secretary of State, I will ensure that Massachusetts is leading the nation in election security, working with cyber security experts, technologists and elections experts to ensure we have secure elections, [and] offer legislation requiring risk-limiting audits of our elections and submit the office to independent auditing. For our overseas military members, I will work to correct the current system to ensure they can cast their ballots securely and privately.
A big part of your job is the preservation of history: what are your thoughts on the effort to redesign the Massachusetts state seal?
Galvin: The Special Commission on the Official Seal and Motto of the Commonwealth was created by the Legislature. As Secretary of State, I have two designees on the commission. It is important to allow the commission to go through an extensive and thoughtful process to consider the redesign of the state seal and motto.
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Sullivan: In Massachusetts where our history is so rich, the Secretary has responsibility for leading the discovery, preservation, and sharing of our diverse history. This requires the Secretary to understand that our history is not static and is multi-faceted, requiring us to examine our symbols, our curriculum, and how we see the history of diverse people who make up our great Commonwealth. To that end, I support the work of the Special Commission on the Official Seal and Motto of the Commonwealth. We need to ensure that any symbol representing the Commonwealth honors our past, acknowledges our present, and sets a vision for what we aspire to be. We must also be intentional about including both federal and state-recognized tribes in this important work. Finally, we need to support and fund a robust K-12 civics curriculum that helps prepare each new generation with the knowledge and understanding they need to carry this work forward.
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