Reading Receives Check For Early Voting Costs

Reading has received $4,119.40 as compensation for some of the costs associated with implementing the new early voting law during the 2016 state election.

Secretary of State William Galvin recently issued more than $1 million in reimbursement payments to cities and towns across the Commonwealth, using funding the Legislature provided for this purpose in a $17.8 million supplemental budget. The funding was distributed in accordance with the amounts certified by State Auditor Suzanne Bump’s Division of Local Mandates.

“I appreciate the work our local election officials did to make sure the early voting process ran smoothly, and I’m pleased the state has stepped forward to fulfill its promise to reimburse communities for their efforts,” said House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading).

“I’m glad that the Legislature could work together to provide this much needed reimbursement for our cities and towns,” said Representative James Dwyer (D-Woburn). “Affording as many avenues to vote for our citizens is important to our democracy and we must make sure any new mandates are funded by the state government.”

“The successful implementation of the early voting law facilitated citizens’ access to our most fundamental exercise of democracy,” said Senator Jason Lewis (D-Winchester). “I’m pleased that state government has allocated these funds to adequately reimburse our cities and towns, including Reading, for their effective execution of the early voting law.”