Rep. Connolly believes in expanding access to the ballot box because voting is the fundamental way to participate in our democracy. That means overcoming barriers for all different types of people: instituting early voting for all elections and no-fault absentee voting to help working people, instituting same-day voter registration for new residents, enfranchising incarcerated people, and allowing immigrants the right to vote in municipal elections. Rep. Connolly also believes Ranked Choice voting is a better alternative to our current first past the post voting system.
Furthermore, the influence of big money on our political system runs harmfully deep. Rep. Connolly believes one of the best ways to curtail that influence is by re-instituting the state's short-lived program of public financing of elections.
Rep. Connolly is proud to work with local partners Cambridge Residents for Responsible Elections and Represent.Us along with statewide partners Common Cause, We the People, Voter Choice Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Voter Table.
In his first term, Rep. Connolly has proudly:
- Filed H.2898 - An Act supporting working parents who choose to run for public office allowing candidates expend money in their campaign accounts for childcare while running for office
- Filed H.2897 - An Act providing a local option for ranked choice voting in municipal elections enabling municipalities opt in to running elections with by ranked choice voting
- Filed H.3484 - An Act limiting campaign contributions from outside the Commonwealth limiting donation from individuals residing out of state to $500 per year
- Voted to enact H.4834 - An Act automatically registering eligible voters and enhancing safeguards against fraud automatically registering voters who interface with the RMV, Masshealth, and possibly more agencies in the future
- Voted against the 2017 legislative pay raise that dramatically increased stipends for the Speaker of the House, the Senate President, and other legislative leaders.
- Co-sponsored S.371 - An Act establishing election day registration allowing same day voter registration
- Co-sponsored H.1926 - An Act for a United States constitutional amendment and amendments convention, calling for a convention to ratify an amendment to get money out of politics
- Co-sponsored H.2079 - An Act to expand access to voter registration directing the Secretary of State to provide voter registration materials in multiple languages
- Co-sponsored H.63 - Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution to declare that corporations are not people, money is not speech
Where Rep. Connolly is talking about this:
- Rep Connolly voices support for We the People to get big money out of politics, YouTube, Nov. 17, 2017
- Mass. candidates want campaign funds allowed toward child care, Worcester Telegram, Oct. 13, 2017
- Mass. political candidates can expense a tuxedo, but not child care, Boston Globe, July 12, 2018.