Press Releases

Steve Kerrigan, Chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party:

“Today's Ballot Law Commission ruling represents a landmark victory for voting rights and democratic participation across the Commonwealth. At a time when voting rights are under attack across our country, this decision sends a clear message: in Massachusetts, the right of every eligible citizen to cast a ballot, regardless of party affiliation, will be protected, defended, and upheld.

“Thousands of Massachusetts residents had their names used without their knowledge and without their consent in a deliberate effort to sneak GOP candidates for statewide office, Anne Manning Martin and Michael Walsh, onto the September primary ballot. That is voter fraud, plain and simple.”

Adam Roof, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Democratic Party:

“Anne Manning Martin and Michael Walsh sought to distance themselves by pointing to a third-party vendor they hired. Massachusetts voters deserve better than that. Accountability does not end with a subcontractor. These candidates were warned by local clerks that something was wrong, and they submitted the signature sheets to the Secretary of State's office anyway. They made a choice. Moreover, they chose to throw the entire force of their legal teams to argue that the cases be dismissed based on a technicality instead of defending their actions and seeking vindication. They know they would not have prevailed if the merits of the case were presented. 

“This wasn’t a paperwork error. It was a deliberate attempt to game the system. If you break the rules to get on the ballot, you can’t be trusted to serve. No candidate is above the rules.

“The thousands of residents whose names were fraudulently used, many of whom may not even know it happened, received justice with today’s decision. While the system worked today, it should never have been tested.

“We thank the Ballot Law Commission for their time and their service to this process.”