In the News

SPRINGFIELD — The coronavirus pandemic will change the way the public votes with more vote-by-mail and the way lawmakers — especially in the U.S. House of Representatives — vote.

But U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, urged caution on both fronts Wednesday during a wide-ranging news conference in support of a $3 trillion coronavirus response bill that he and his follow House Democrats introduced Tuesday. The vote is Friday.

The bill includes $3.6 billion that could be given to states to improve election security.

“I know its been lost in the news about the pandemic. But the Russians interfered in the election. That is not in dispute,” Neal said citing a bipartisan U.S. Senate report.

In Massachusetts , state lawmakers and Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin have planned for enhanced mail-in voting. One proposal would have towns and cities automatically mail ballots to voters and require sanitizing procedures at the polls.

The Springfield City Council voted unanimously to investigate a citywide vote-by-mail system.

"I'm all in on the idea if people want to vote by mail," Neal said Wednesday "But there is a challenge in minority neighborhoods."

The Center for American Progress and the NAACP have both come out in favor of maintaining in-person voting because black Americans are disenfranchised by vote by mail, the groups said. Culturally, there is a great emphasis put on being out at the polls.

Neal pointed to a special election in Maryland where former Rep. Kweisi Mfume was elected to fill the seat once held by the late Elijah Cummings. There, voters in the Baltimore areas had access both to in-person polling places and mail-in ballots if they wanted them.

As for the way Neal votes as a member of Congress, many representatives want voting by proxy and remote committee meetings,

Democratic leaders, including U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, chairman of the Rules Committee, have a proposal on the table and Republicans are asking accommodations, too.

McGovern, D-Worcester, represents western and central Massachusetts as does Neal making the two neighbors among the most powerful House members.

I’m of two minds of it. I hate to see a precedent of 230 years overturned ," Neal said.

He opened his wallet and showed reporters the card he uses to cast electronically recorded votes in Washington. He said proxy voting was allowed when he was first elected, but the representative had to be in the room.

He is concerned about representatives voting remotely.

“Is it safe,” he said. “You have clear threat from Iran, North Korea, Russia and China as to technology. The magnifying glass on this is going to have to be substantial.”