Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Mass. among first states extending vote-by-mail expansion to November

GOP Gov. Charlie Baker  of Massachusetts

GOP Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill Monday allowing no-excuse absentee voting inn the general election.

Matt Stone/Getty Images

Massachusetts has dropped its excuse requirements for voting by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic — not only in this summer's primary but also in the general election.

Legislation signed on Monday by Gov. Charlie Baker is significant because it makes Massachusetts among the first states to lock in the ability of all registered voters to cast ballots by mail for November.

While a majority of states have made it easier in at least some ways to vote remotely during the primaries, deliberations across the country about the rules for mail voting in the general election are only beginning to ramp up.


The increasingly partisan split over voting by mail is generally pitting Democrats, who see it as an expansion of voting rights at a crucial moment to protect the electorate's health, against Republicans, who argue there are already enough ways for people to safely vote — and who are aligning behind President Trump's false claims that mail-in voting incubates widespread fraud.

Five states already planned to conduct all-mail elections before the Covid-19 outbreak. Another 28 states and the District of Columbia allow all registered voters to obtain an absentee ballot without citing a reason.

In addition to reliably blue Massachusetts, the Delaware General Assembly has passed legislation allowing expanded mail-in voting for the general election. In battleground New Hampshire and solidly red West Virginia, edicts issued by state officials easing the laws governing mail-in ballots remain in effect.

But the issue in many of the remaining states will be decided in the courts, because the legislatures of most states have adjourned for the year.

The Massachusetts law does not make the expansion of mail-in voting permanent; the law covers the Sept. 1 primary and expires at the end of the year.

Under the law, the state will send each registered voter an application for a mail-in ballot ahead of both the primary and general elections — and conduct a public awareness campaign about the virtues of mail voting.

In-person voting will also be expanded by several days in August and the two weekends before Nov. 3, to make voting more convenient and to reduce crowding at polls.

Massachusetts is now "committed to helping preserve our democracy amid a worsening pandemic — and other states must follow their lead," said Brett Edkins of Stand Up America, a progressive group that's been among the most outspoken advocates for easing voting rules. "This legislation serves as a marker for states across the country to ensure voters receive a mail-in ballot application, can track their ballots online, and have safe in-person early voting options this fall."

Massachusetts has more than 105,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 8,000 deaths as of Tuesday.

The state's 11 electoral votes are a lock for former Vice President Joe Biden. The hottest contest in the state this year is the Democratic primary for the Senate, with Rep. Joe Kennedy challenging veteran incumbent Ed Markey.

Read More

Understanding the Debate on Health Secretary Kennedy’s Vaccine Panelists

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., January 29, 2025 in Washington, DC.

(Photo by Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

Understanding the Debate on Health Secretary Kennedy’s Vaccine Panelists

Summary

On June 9, 2025, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), dismissed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Secretary Kennedy claimed the move was necessary to eliminate “conflicts of interest” and restore public trust in vaccines, which he argued had been compromised by the influence of pharmaceutical companies. However, this decision strays from precedent and has drawn significant criticism from medical experts and public health officials across the country. Some argue that this shake-up undermines scientific independence and opens the door to politicized decision-making in vaccine policy.

Background: What Is ACIP?

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is a federal advisory group that helps guide national vaccine policy. Established in 1964, it has over 60 years of credibility as an evidence-based body of medical and scientific experts. ACIP makes official recommendations on vaccine schedules for both children and adults, determining which immunizations are required for school entry, covered by health insurance, and prioritized in public health programs. The committee is composed of specialists in immunology, epidemiology, pediatrics, infectious disease, and public health, all of whom are vetted for scientific rigor and ethical standards. ACIP’s guidance holds national weight, shaping both public perception of vaccines and the policies of institutions like schools, hospitals, and insurers.

Keep ReadingShow less
MQ-9 Predator Drones Hunt Migrants at the Border
Way into future, RPA Airmen participate in Red Flag 16-2 > Creech ...

MQ-9 Predator Drones Hunt Migrants at the Border

FT HUACHUCA, Ariz. - Inside a windowless and dark shipping container turned into a high-tech surveillance command center, two analysts peered at their own set of six screens that showed data coming in from an MQ-9 Predator B drone. Both were looking for two adults and a child who had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and had fled when a Border Patrol agent approached in a truck.

Inside the drone hangar on the other side of the Fort Huachuca base sat another former shipping container, this one occupied by a drone pilot and a camera operator who pivoted the drone's camera to scan nine square miles of shrubs and saguaros for the migrants. Like the command center, the onetime shipping container was dark, lit only by the glow of the computer screens.

Keep ReadingShow less
A Trump 2020 flag outside of a home.

As Trump’s second presidency unfolds, rural America—the foundation of his 2024 election win—is feeling the sting. From collapsing export markets to cuts in healthcare and infrastructure, those very voters are losing faith.

Getty Images, ablokhin

Trump’s 2.0 Actions Have Harmed Rural America Who Voted for Him

Daryl Royal, the 20-year University of Texas football coach, once said, “You've gotta dance with them that brung ya.” The modern adaptation of that quote is “you gotta dance with the one who brought you to the party.” The expression means you should remain loyal to the people or things that helped you succeed.

Sixty-three percent of America’s 3,144 counties are predominantly rural, and Donald Trump won 93 percent of those counties in 2024. Analyses show that rural counties have become increasingly solid Republican, and Trump’s margin of victory within rural America reached a new high in the 2024 election.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hands Off Our Elections: States and Congress, Not Presidents, Set the Rules
white concrete dome museum

Hands Off Our Elections: States and Congress, Not Presidents, Set the Rules

Trust in elections is fragile – and once lost, it is extraordinarily difficult to rebuild. While Democrats and Republicans disagree on many election policies, there is broad bipartisan agreement on one point: executive branch interference in elections undermines the constitutional authority of states and Congress to determine how elections are run.

Recent executive branch actions threaten to upend this constitutional balance, and Congress must act before it’s too late. To be clear – this is not just about the current president. Keeping the executive branch out of elections is a crucial safeguard against power grabs by any future president, Democrat or Republican.

Keep ReadingShow less