Boston officials look to add ballot drop box in Fields Corner
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Election season is in full swing in Massachusetts with mail-in voting underway and early voting starting Saturday.
Why it matters: The Trump administration's attempts to restrict mail-in voting haven't disrupted election season in Massachusetts, but voting rights advocates still warn against potential hurdles.
Catch up quick: The Supreme Court let federal judge Indira Talwani's order in Boston federal court remain in place last month, blocking the federal government from implementing an executive order that would overhaul the mail-in voting process before the Nov. 3 election.
- That case, and several lawsuits related to it, are ongoing.
State of play: City officials encouraged Boston residents to make their voting plans, whether they plan to vote in person or by mail.
- The city Elections Department is exploring adding a ballot drop box in Fields Corner in light of the temporary closure of the U.S. post office nearby on Oct. 26.
- The city has several drop boxes for mail-in ballots, including three in Dorchester, but none in Fields Corner.
- The U.S. Postal Service also announced plans to permanently close its shuttered Allston post office, which has sparked outrage among Allston and Brighton residents.
What they're saying: "Given the credible threats and the valid concerns regarding federal election interference for the midterms, the closure of those two post offices is something that we all need to take seriously and that we are monitoring here," said Brooke Simone, a staff attorney at Lawyers for Civil Rights.
- LCR plans to monitor election activity, including in Dorchester, in case of any hurdles that could disenfranchise local voters.
- Fortunately, she added, residents have multiple alternatives, from dropping off their mail-in ballots at a USPS bin or early voting site to voting in-person.
Zoom out: Civil rights groups in Boston and cities across Massachusetts are also monitoring the possibility that immigration agents or armed federal officers could show up at polling places, a violation of federal law.
- That's separate from the Department of Justice's deployment of 12 election monitors to Boston, New Bedford and Lowell during the state primary.
- The Trump administration said it has no plans for immigration officers at the polls, following lawsuits by advocacy groups filed last month.
- Still, the possibility has raised concerns about a chilling effect in immigrant communities with naturalized citizens and communities of color, Simone says.
What we're watching: City officials said they couldn't say when the Fields Corner ballot drop box would be set up, but they're looking to make it available before Election Day.