General Laws of Massachusetts - Chapter 54 Elections

• Massachusetts General Laws - Decennial division of cities into wards and precincts - Chapter 54, Section 1
  In the year 2001, and every tenth year thereafter, no later than June fifteenth, a city, by vote of its city council may, or if...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Division of cities and wards into voting precincts; census; effect upon formation of congressional, representative, senatorial or councillor districts - Chapter 54, Section 2
  Each city shall be divided into convenient voting precincts, designated by numbers or letters and containing not more than four thousand inhabitants. Every ward shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1971, 820, Sec. 5 - Chapter 54, Section 3
  Repealed, 1971, 820, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - New divisions of cities into wards, when effective; congressional districts - Chapter 54, Section 4
  All regular municipal elections and primaries held in any city after it has been redivided into wards or into any districts for electing city officers...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Maps or descriptions of new divisions; publication and posting - Chapter 54, Section 5
  When a ward has been divided into new voting precincts, or the voting precincts thereof have been changed, the aldermen shall forthwith cause a map...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Division of towns into voting precincts - Chapter 54, Section 6
  In the year 2001 and every tenth year thereafter, no later than June fifteenth, the board of selectmen of every town of less than six...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Changes in voting precincts of towns - Chapter 54, Section 7
  Upon its own initiative a board of selectmen of a town may, and upon direction of the town meeting of such town said board shall,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Dividing precincts to facilitate voting; applicable laws - Chapter 54, Section 7A
  Any precinct in a town where town meeting members are elected may be divided for the sole purpose of facilitating voting therein. Every such division...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Maps or descriptions of new precincts; posting - Chapter 54, Section 8
  When a town has been divided into voting precincts or the voting precincts thereof have been changed, the selectmen shall post in the office of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Discontinuance of voting precincts - Chapter 54, Section 9
  Any town of fewer than 6,200 inhabitants may discontinue its voting precincts; and subsequent elections therein shall be held as if no such division had...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Redivision into precincts or districts; elections thereafter; census - Chapter 54, Section 9A
  All regular municipal elections and primaries held in any town after it has been redivided into precincts or into any districts for electing town officers...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Changes in wards; notice to state secretary - Chapter 54, Section 10
  When wards of a city have been changed or when voting precincts in a city or town have been established, changed or discontinued, the city...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Election officers in certain cities - Chapter 54, Section 11
  [ Text of section effective until May 22, 2014. For text effective May 22, 2014, see below.] Subject to section eleven B, the mayor of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Deputies - Chapter 54, Section 11A
  In any city subject to section eleven, the aldermen of which accept this section or have accepted corresponding provisions of earlier laws, no deputy warden,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Filing for appointment in cities; procedure; eligibility; examinations - Chapter 54, Section 11B
  The chairman of the city committee of each political party entitled to representation in the appointment of election officers may, not later than June first...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Election officers in towns; procedure; eligibility; examinations - Chapter 54, Section 12
  [ First paragraph effective until May 22, 2014. For text effective May 22, 2014, see below.] The selectmen of every town shall annually, not earlier...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Party representation; term of office; removal - Chapter 54, Section 13
  Such election officers shall be enrolled voters so appointed as equally to represent the 2 leading political parties, except that, without disturbing the equal representation...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Vacancies; filling - Chapter 54, Section 14
  If there is a vacancy in the number of election officers, or if an election officer declines his appointment and gives notice thereof to the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Eligibility of candidates - Chapter 54, Section 15
  No person shall, at a state, city or town election, be eligible or act as an election officer in a voting precinct where he is...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Deputies; duties - Chapter 54, Section 16
  If a warden, clerk or inspector is absent at the opening of the polls or subsequently on the day of election, or if the office...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Vacancies; appointments to fill - Chapter 54, Section 16A
  In any city or town which accepts this section, if the warden, clerk or inspector, or the deputy of any such officer, if any, is...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Ballot clerks; duties - Chapter 54, Section 17
  At state elections in cities and in towns, and in city elections, the presiding election officer of each voting place or precinct shall detail two...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1960, 431, Sec. 4 - Chapter 54, Section 18 19
  Repealed, 1960, 431, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Oath of office - Chapter 54, Section 20
  Every election officer before entering upon the performance of his official duties shall be sworn before the city or town clerk, the presiding officer or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1960, 431, Sec. 4 - Chapter 54, Section 21
  Repealed, 1960, 431, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Compensation of election officers - Chapter 54, Section 22
  Election officers shall receive such compensation as the city council or the selectmen respectively may determine; but no deputy officer shall receive compensation except for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Supervisors of elections; political party representation; violations - Chapter 54, Section 23
  Upon the written petition of ten qualified voters of a ward or of a town, presented at least twenty-one days before a state or city...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Designation of polling places - Chapter 54, Section 24
  The aldermen in cities, except where city charters provide otherwise, and the selectmen of towns divided into voting precincts, shall, twenty days at least before...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Marking shelves and guard rails - Chapter 54, Section 25
  The aldermen or selectmen shall cause each polling place in their respective cities and towns to be provided with a sufficient number of suitable marking...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Display of national flag - Chapter 54, Section 25A
  In any city or town which accepts this section by vote of its city council or selectmen, the national flag shall be displayed at each...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Early voting; application for early voting ballots; early voting period, sites and lists; counting of early voting ballots - Chapter 54, Section 25B
  [ Text of section added by 2014, 111, Sec. 12 effective on and shall be implemented for the 2016 biennial state election. See 2014, 111,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - State ballot boxes; furnishing - Chapter 54, Section 26
  The state secretary shall, at the expense of the commonwealth, provide every city and town for use at every precinct or division of a precinct...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Blank forms and envelopes for returns; injury, tampering, or destruction; penalties - Chapter 54, Section 27
  The state secretary shall provide every city and town with suitable blank forms and envelopes for all certificates, copies of records and returns required to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Care, custody and repair of ballot boxes, counting apparatus, and voting machines - Chapter 54, Section 28
  The clerk of each city or town shall provide therein a place for the safe keeping of the ballot boxes and counting apparatus furnished by...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Replacement of defective, lost or destroyed ballot boxes - Chapter 54, Section 29
  If a state ballot box becomes defective or is lost or destroyed, the state secretary, upon application by the city or town clerk, shall provide...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Voting place or precinct seals; use and custody - Chapter 54, Section 30
  The city or town clerk shall furnish to the clerk of each voting place or precinct a seal of suitable device with a designation thereon...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Custodians of voting machines; duties; eligibility - Chapter 54, Section 30A
  Notwithstanding any contrary provision of section thirteen, where voting machines are used the city or town clerk or election commissioners shall appoint in writing one...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Sending ballot boxes, blank forms, and counting apparatus to polls; installation of voting machines; voters’ authority certificates - Chapter 54, Section 31
  Every city and town clerk shall send to the election officers at each polling place, before the opening of the polls on the day of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Examination and approval of voting equipment - Chapter 54, Section 32
  The state secretary shall examine all types of voting equipment including ballot boxes, counting apparatus, and voting machines and determine whether such equipment complies with...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Requirements and use of voting machines, electronic voting systems, and ballots - Chapter 54, Section 33
  [ First paragraph effective until May 22, 2014. For text effective May 22, 2014, see below.] Voting machines shall furnish convenient, simple and satisfactory means...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Additional requirements for voting machines - Chapter 54, Section 33A
  Voting machines shall be provided with convenient spaces, which shall be specified and described on the cards of instructions, where the name of a person...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Use of voting machines; regulations; mechanical failures - Chapter 54, Section 33B
  During the period the polls are open for voting, the exterior of the voting machine shall remain in plain view of the election officers. If...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Instructions to voter after entering voting machine booth; re-entry after voting - Chapter 54, Section 33C
  If any voter, after he has enclosed himself in the voting machine booth, or in a compartment which contains a marking unit, wherever electronic voting...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Voting for persons not listed on ballot labels of machine - Chapter 54, Section 33D
  Every vote cast for any person whose name does not appear on the ballot labels of the machine as a nominated candidate for office shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Electronic voting systems; marking implements; stickers or pasters on ballots; inspection; instructions to voters; write-in candidates - Chapter 54, Section 33E
  If there is an approved electronic voting system in use, a voter may vote by punching holes in a data processing card, or by marking...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Computers and counting units; central tabulation centers; preparation; testing - Chapter 54, Section 33F
  If the system employed makes use of a computer, or similar counting unit for the tabulation of the vote cast either on paper ballots or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Lease or purchase of marking units or tabulating units; bonds from manufacturers or distributors - Chapter 54, Section 33G
  If any special marking units or special tabulating units are leased or purchased by a city or town, the manufacturer or distributor of such units...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Election officers for tabulation center; tabulation of votes - Chapter 54, Section 33H
  For any tabulation center designated under section thirty-three F, the mayor or the board of selectmen shall appoint, in conformity with sections eleven to twenty-two,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Use of voting machines by cities and towns - Chapter 54, Section 34
  A city or town may, by vote of a majority of the city council or by vote of a majority of the board of selectmen,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Public exhibition of voting machines; instruction to voters; delivery to polls; examination - Chapter 54, Section 35
  The body, board or official charged with the conduct of elections shall cause to be done all things necessary to properly carry on primaries and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Challenged or absent voting ballots where voting machines used; questions submitted to voters - Chapter 54, Section 35A
  At polling places where voting machines are used ballots cast by challenged voters, and absent voting ballots cast at elections where such voting is permitted...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Casting challenged votes where voting machines used; counting votes - Chapter 54, Section 35B
  If the right of a person offering to vote by the use of such a machine is challenged, said person shall not be permitted to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Number of election officers present when voting machines used - Chapter 54, Section 36
  In any election when voting machines are used in any polling place in any city or town, the number of election officers in such polling...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Regulations for use of voting machines, ballot boxes, etc. - Chapter 54, Section 37
  The state secretary shall promulgate regulations governing the approval of voting equipment under section thirty-two. The state secretary shall promulgate regulations governing the contents, form,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1977, 930, Sec. 8 - Chapter 54, Section 38
  Repealed, 1977, 930, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Seller’s bonds; electronic voting systems, voting machines or ballot boxes - Chapter 54, Section 39
  When an electronic voting system, voting machines or ballot boxes are purchased by the commonwealth or by a city or town, the persons of whom...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Preparation and furnishing - Chapter 54, Section 40
  All ballots for use in elections of state officers shall be prepared and furnished by the state secretary, and all ballots for use in elections...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Names; residences; political designation; incumbents - Chapter 54, Section 41
  Ballots for the use of voters in a voting precinct, polling place or town shall contain the names of all candidates duly nominated for election...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Governor and lieutenant governor candidates; grouping party nominees; order - Chapter 54, Section 41A
  The surnames of candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor shall be placed upon the official ballot for use at state elections in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Arrangement of names; blank spaces; name of city or town, etc. - Chapter 54, Section 42
  Except as provided in section forty-one A, under the designation of the office, the names of the candidates for re-election to any office to be...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Questions submitted to voters; designation - Chapter 54, Section 42A
  The state secretary and the city or town clerks shall cause each question appearing upon ballots prepared by them to be designated as follows: Questions...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Public policy questions; placement on ballots - Chapter 54, Section 42B
  When a question to be submitted to the voters is one of public policy, it shall be stated upon the ballot of every voter thereon:...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Deadline for ballot questions - Chapter 54, Section 42C
  Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary establishing a later time, the state secretary shall not print on the biennial...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Presidential electors; arrangement of names - Chapter 54, Section 43
  The names of the candidates for presidential electors shall not be printed on the ballot, but in lieu thereof the surnames of the candidates of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - State elections and primaries; officers to be elected; manner and order of appearance on ballots - Chapter 54, Section 43A
  At state elections and primaries at which any of the following offices are to be voted for, such offices shall appear on ballots and on...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Official ballots - Chapter 54, Section 44
  The official ballots shall, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, be of ordinary white printing paper, of two or more pages, and shall, before...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Number of ballots provided; ballot labels for voting machines - Chapter 54, Section 45
  One set of ballots, not less than one for each registered voter, shall be provided for each polling place at which an election for state,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Packaging ballots; record - Chapter 54, Section 46
  Ballots, in convenient numbers, shall be arranged in packages. A record of the number of ballots printed and delivered to each polling place shall be...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Vacancies; printing ballots - Chapter 54, Section 47
  If a vacancy occurs or is declared in the list of nominations, by reason of death or ineligibility, the name of the candidate nominated to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Cards of instruction; specimen ballots; copies of information for voters material - Chapter 54, Section 48
  The state secretary in state elections, city clerks in city elections, and town clerks in town elections at which official ballots are used, shall, for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Voters’ bill of rights; postings; preparation and revision - Chapter 54, Section 48A
  The state secretary shall provide a voters’ bill of rights, which shall summarize appropriate election laws of the United States and the commonwealth as the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Lists of candidates; copies of proposed constitutional amendments or laws - Chapter 54, Section 49
  The state secretary, at least five days before state elections, shall transmit to the city or town clerk printed lists of the names, residences and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - City elections; posting names of candidates - Chapter 54, Section 50
  At least four days before a city election, city clerks shall cause to be posted in every voting precinct the names, residences and designations of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Town elections; posting names of candidates - Chapter 54, Section 51
  In towns using official ballots the town clerk, at least four days before an election therein, shall cause to be posted in one or more...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Lists of candidates; questions submitted to voters; availability for publication; state and city elections - Chapter 54, Section 52
  Before every state election, the state secretary shall make available a list of all candidates to be voted for. He shall also print with said...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Mailing lists of voters; copies of measures, summaries, ballot question titles, statements and arguments to voters; public examination; petition for amendment - Chapter 54, Section 53
  The election commissioners in the city of Boston, at least twenty-four days, and the registrars of voters in every other city or town, at least...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Arguments on measures; preparation; submission, filing; printing; mailing - Chapter 54, Section 54
  The state secretary shall cause to be printed and sent, in the manner provided in section fifty-three, arguments for and against every measure to be...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1991, 234, Sec. 11 - Chapter 54, Section 55 to 58
  Repealed, 1991, 234, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - General Laws submitted to municipal voters for acceptance; form of question; filing date - Chapter 54, Section 58A
  Whenever any provision of the General Laws, submitted for acceptance to the voters of a city or town, is to be placed on the ballot...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Packaging and delivery to city or town clerks - Chapter 54, Section 59
  Ballots for state elections shall be enclosed in a package by the state secretary, sealed and marked with the number of ballots of each kind...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Duties of city and town clerks; delivery to polls; receipts - Chapter 54, Section 60
  The city or town clerk, on the day of every state or city election, before the opening of the polls, shall transmit to the election...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Failure to deliver; substitute ballots - Chapter 54, Section 61
  If the ballots provided for any polling place are not delivered, or if after delivery they are destroyed or stolen, the city or town clerk...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Biennial state elections - Chapter 54, Section 62
  The biennial state election for the choice of the officers to be elected pursuant to sections one hundred and fifty to one hundred and sixty-two,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Calling city and town elections; notice - Chapter 54, Section 63
  Elections of state officers and city officers shall be called by the aldermen, and the city clerk shall, under their direction, cause notice of such...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Notices or warrants; requisites; time of opening and closing polls - Chapter 54, Section 64
  Notices or warrants for state and city elections and for the election of town officers in towns where official ballots are used shall specify by...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Activities at polling places; regulations; penalties - Chapter 54, Section 65
  At an election of state or city officers, and of town officers in towns where official ballots are used, the presiding election officer at each...
• Massachusetts General Laws - State ballot boxes; use and custody - Chapter 54, Section 66
  The state ballot boxes shall be used for receiving the ballots in state and city elections, and in town elections where official ballots are used....
• Massachusetts General Laws - Voting lists; delivery and use; voting by persons not on list - Chapter 54, Section 67
  One voting list shall be delivered to the ballot clerks and another to the officer in charge of the ballot box; except that, where voting...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Additional state ballot boxes; use in towns - Chapter 54, Section 67A
  If the selectmen so vote, more than one state ballot box may be used at any polling place in any town at state elections and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Statements made before public declaration of vote; penalties - Chapter 54, Section 68
  No election officer shall, before the public declaration of the vote, make any statement of the number of ballots cast, the number of votes given...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Persons permitted within guard rail - Chapter 54, Section 69
  No persons except the election officers, supervisors, custodians of voting machines when acting in the course of their duties, the city or town clerks, and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Number of voters permitted within guard rail; voters in line at closing time - Chapter 54, Section 70
  No more than four voters, besides election officers and supervisors, custodians of voting machines when acting in the course of their duties, and the city...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Presiding officers; powers and duties - Chapter 54, Section 71
  The presiding officer at each polling place shall enforce the performance by election officers of their duties. During an election and the counting of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Supervision of election officers in cities and towns - Chapter 54, Section 71A
  Election officers in cities and in towns shall perform their duties under the supervision of the city or town clerk.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Preservation of order by police - Chapter 54, Section 72
  [ Text of section effective until May 22, 2014. For text effective May 22, 2014, see below.] The board or officer in charge of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Smoking or intoxicating liquors in polling places prohibited; penalties - Chapter 54, Section 73
  Any person who, during an election or town meeting, shall, in a polling place or place of such meeting, smoke or have in his possession...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Detention of offenders; effect on right to vote - Chapter 54, Section 74
  If a person at an election refuses to obey the lawful commands of the presiding officer or, by disorderly conduct interrupts or disturbs the proceedings...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Report of violations; prosecutions - Chapter 54, Section 75
  Every election officer shall forthwith report every violation of any provision of sections sixty-five to eighty-five and one hundred and four to one hundred and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Voting; giving name and address upon request; delivery of ballot - Chapter 54, Section 76
  Each voter desiring to vote at a polling place shall give his name and, if requested, his residence to one of the officers at the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1975, 95 - Chapter 54, Section 76A
  Repealed, 1975,
• Massachusetts General Laws - Failure to present voter identification; right to challenge vote - Chapter 54, Section 76B
  (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), a person desiring to vote, who fails to present suitable written identification when so requested by an election...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Provisional ballot - Chapter 54, Section 76C
  (a) Whenever a person asserting a right to vote in a primary, caucus, preliminary, or other election appears at the polling place for the precinct...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Marking ballots - Chapter 54, Section 77
  The voter on receiving his ballot shall, without leaving the enclosed space, retire alone to one of the marking compartments and shall, except in the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1972, 400, Sec. 8 - Chapter 54, Section 77A
  Repealed, 1972, 400, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Voting for presidential electors, governor, and lieutenant governor; marking ballots - Chapter 54, Section 78
  In order to vote for presidential electors, the voter shall make a cross (X) in the square at the right of the party or political...
• Massachusetts General Laws - List of candidates for electors pledged to presidential candidates other than those on official ballot; written acceptances; filing; certification; form of write-in or sticker vote - Chapter 54, Section 78A
  In any year in which presidential electors are to be elected, not later than the sixtieth day prior to the date of the election, there...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Assistance in marking ballots - Chapter 54, Section 79
  A voter who states to the presiding officer that from blindness or other physical disability or inability to read or to read in the English...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Prohibited markings; use of red pencils or red ink by election officers - Chapter 54, Section 80
  Except as authorized by this chapter, no voter, election officer or other person shall place on a ballot any mark by which it may be...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Spoiled ballots - Chapter 54, Section 81
  If a voter spoils a ballot, he may obtain two others, one at a time, upon returning each spoiled one, and all ballots so returned...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Folding ballots; time for marking ballots - Chapter 54, Section 82
  Before leaving the marking compartment the voter shall fold his ballot, without displaying the marks thereon, as it was folded when received by him, and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Deposit of ballots, voting list check, endorsement - Chapter 54, Section 83
  Except where voting machines are used, a voter after marking his ballot shall give his name and, if requested, his residence, to one of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Removal of ballots before close of polls - Chapter 54, Section 84
  No person shall remove any ballot from the space enclosed by the guard rail before the polls are closed. No voter whose name has been...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Challenge of person’s right to vote, procedures - Chapter 54, Section 85
  If in any state, city or town election at which official ballots are used the right of a person offering to vote is challenged for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Challengers - Chapter 54, Section 85A
  The state committee of a political party may appoint a person to act as a challenger of voters at any polling place in the commonwealth...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Absent or physically disabled voters - Chapter 54, Section 86
  Any voter who during the hours that polling places are open on the day of a special state election or the biennial state election or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Preparation of absent voting ballots, envelopes, instructions - Chapter 54, Section 87
  Prior to each biennial state election the state secretary shall prepare in such quantities as he may deem necessary the following papers: (a) Official absent...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Distribution of absent voting ballots - Chapter 54, Section 88
  The state secretary shall retain for his own use so many of the papers provided for in the preceding section as he may deem sufficient,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Applications; seasonably filed; spoiled ballots; application by family member - Chapter 54, Section 89
  Any form of written communication evidencing a desire to have an absent voting ballot be sent for use for voting at an election shall be...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1993, 475, Sec. 37 - Chapter 54, Section 89A
  Repealed, 1993, 475, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1946, 140, Sec. 14 - Chapter 54, Section 90
  Repealed, 1946, 140, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Applications; filing and certification; notation on voting lists; posting - Chapter 54, Section 91
  When an application for an official absent voting ballot is received by the clerk of a city or town, it shall be transmitted by him...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Applications of specially qualified voters - Chapter 54, Section 91A
  A specially qualified voter, as defined in section one of chapter fifty, who qualifies for an absent voting ballot pursuant to section eighty-six, or a...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Delivery of ballots - Chapter 54, Section 91B
  The official absent voting ballot and accompanying papers described in section eighty-seven shall be delivered as hereinafter provided. (a) Except as required by subsections (b)...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Method of voting - Chapter 54, Section 92
  A voter who has received an official absent voting ballot shall mark it in the presence of no other person, except as provided in section...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Time for mailing or delivering ballots - Chapter 54, Section 93
  All absent voting ballots voted as provided in section ninety-two shall be received by the city or town clerk before the hour fixed for closing...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Examination of ballots; acceptance or rejection - Chapter 54, Section 94
  The city or town clerk or a person designated by him shall open each envelope purporting to contain an official absent voting ballot as soon...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Duties of election officers; deposit of absent voting ballots; receipt and counting of federal write-in absentee ballots - Chapter 54, Section 95
  The city or town clerk, on the day of the election, but no later than one hour after the hour for the closing of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Challenges - Chapter 54, Section 96
  All ballots transmitted under any provision of sections eighty-six to one hundred and three, inclusive, shall be subject to challenge when and as cast for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Immaterial irregularities - Chapter 54, Section 97
  No ballot transmitted under any provision of sections eighty-six to one hundred and three, inclusive, shall be rejected for any immaterial addition, omission or irregularity...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Absent voter unable to mark ballot - Chapter 54, Section 98
  An absent voter who because of blindness or other physical disability or inability to read or read in the English language is unable to prepare...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Late ballots; disposition - Chapter 54, Section 99
  All envelopes received by clerks of cities and towns after the hour fixed for closing of the polls on the day of election shall be...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Voting in person; death of absent voter - Chapter 54, Section 100
  Except as hereinafter provided, no person to whom an absent voting ballot has been mailed or delivered, as provided in section ninety-two, and opposite whose...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1987, 438, Sec. 8 - Chapter 54, Section 101
  Repealed, 1987, 438, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Printed information and instructions as to absent voting - Chapter 54, Section 102
  The state secretary shall prepare for the use of election officers, city and town clerks and registrars of voters such printed information and instructions as...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Jurisdiction of courts - Chapter 54, Section 103
  The supreme judicial and superior courts shall have jurisdiction in equity to require the certification of any application for an absent voting ballot which the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Sections applicable to city and town elections, primaries and caucuses, and to regional vocational school district elections - Chapter 54, Section 103A
  Sections eighty-six to one hundred and three Q, inclusive, of this chapter, sections twenty-one and twenty-seven of chapter fifty-six and sections thirty-four A and thirty-seven...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1993, 475, Sec. 46 - Chapter 54, Section 103B to 103H
  Repealed, 1993, 475, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1967, 115, Sec. 1 - Chapter 54, Section 103I
  Repealed, 1967, 115, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1993, 475, Sec. 46 - Chapter 54, Section 103J to 103O
  Repealed, 1993, 475, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - City or town elections; preliminary elections or primaries - Chapter 54, Section 103P
  The provisions of this section shall apply to any regular annual or biennial city or town election, notwithstanding any general or special law to the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Informality; liberal construction - Chapter 54, Section 103Q
  No mere informality in the manner or carrying out any provision of law affecting voting by absent voting ballot at an election shall invalidate such...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Use of state blank forms and apparatus; canvass of votes - Chapter 54, Section 104
  The blank forms and apparatus provided by the state secretary shall be used in ascertaining the result of the election or vote in state elections...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Proceedings at close of polls; counting votes; announcing and recording results - Chapter 54, Section 105
  Procedures at any precinct where an electronic voting system is in use shall be in accordance with the provisions of section one hundred and five...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Electronic voting methods; proceedings at close of polls; counting of ballots; announcement of vote; transportation to tabulation center - Chapter 54, Section 105A
  At any precinct using an approved electronic voting method, the clerk shall, as soon as the polls are closed, record the total number of ballots...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Defective ballots - Chapter 54, Section 106
  If the use of a state ballot box is required, no ballot shall be counted unless it has been deposited in and cancelled by such...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Enclosing and sealing ballots and voting lists; certification - Chapter 54, Section 107
  The presiding officer at every polling place at elections of state and city officers and of town officers in towns where official ballots are used...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Copies of voting lists as checked - Chapter 54, Section 108
  At any time after the election, upon written request of any person, the city or town clerk shall, within a reasonable time, open the envelope...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Ballots and lists; custody; disposition - Chapter 54, Section 109
  City and town clerks shall retain in their custody the envelopes or containers containing the ballots cast, without examining them or permitting them to be...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Audit of votes following presidential general election - Chapter 54, Section 109A
  [ Text of section added by 2014, 111, Sec. 15 effective May 22, 2014.] (a) For the purposes of this section, "audited precinct'' shall mean...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Rejection of records - Chapter 54, Section 110
  No record of votes cast or copy thereof shall be rejected if the number of votes given for each candidate for an office can be...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Central tabulation facilities - Chapter 54, Section 110A
  The returns transmitted under section one hundred and five shall be considered unofficial and shall be in addition to returns required under this chapter, and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Examination of precinct records; errors; certification - Chapter 54, Section 111
  The city or town clerk shall forthwith after each election examine the copies of the records of the election officers, and if any error appears...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Copies of records of votes to state secretary - Chapter 54, Section 112
  The clerk of each city and town and in Boston the Board of Election Commissioners, within fifteen days after the day of any election therein...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Unsealed copies transmitted to state secretary; proceedings - Chapter 54, Section 113
  If any such copy transmitted to the state secretary is not sealed as required by law, he shall forthwith give notice thereof to the officers...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Endorsement or memorandum of receipt - Chapter 54, Section 114
  The state secretary shall cause the date of the receipt of each copy of the records of votes to be endorsed on the envelope containing...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Copies of records of votes to governor and council; examination; determination of results - Chapter 54, Section 115
  The state secretary shall lay before the governor and council the copies of the votes cast. After such delivery, the governor, with at least five...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Certification of results; summons; certificates of election - Chapter 54, Section 116
  The governor shall, in the presence of at least five councillors, certify to the results of the examination of the copies of the records of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Election of person not listed on state ballot; financial interest statement - Chapter 54, Section 116A
  Any person whose name does not appear on the state election ballot, but who receives sufficient votes to elect him to an office appearing on...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Return to state secretary; laying before legislature; filing - Chapter 54, Section 117
  After such certification, such copies shall be replaced in their respective envelopes and delivered with the certificate of examination to the state secretary, who shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Presidential electors; copies of records of votes; proclamations; certificate of election - Chapter 54, Section 118
  The copies of the records of votes for presidential electors shall, in any event, within ten days after they have been transmitted to the state...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Petition to court for declaration of election; notice; hearing - Chapter 54, Section 119
  Any person who appears, by the proclamation of the governor, to have received not less than one fifth of the entire number of votes cast...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Procedure; compulsion and immunity of witness - Chapter 54, Section 120
  The petitioner and the contestant may appear and produce evidence at the hearing, and no person other than the petitioner or a contestant shall be...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Examination of records; certificates of election; notice to state secretary - Chapter 54, Section 121
  The county commissioners to whom the copies of the records of votes for county treasurer and register of deeds have been transmitted shall, on the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Board of examiners; duties; certificates of election; notice to state secretary - Chapter 54, Section 122
  In each county, except Suffolk and Nantucket, the judge and register of the probate court and the clerk of the courts shall be a board...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Incomplete records; new copies of returns - Chapter 54, Section 123
  If it shall appear to the governor and council, to the board of examiners, to the election commissioners or to the county commissioners, that any...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1946, 130, Sec. 4 - Chapter 54, Section 124 to 128
  Repealed, 1946, 130, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Copies of returns of votes; transmittal to state secretary - Chapter 54, Section 129
  City and town clerks shall, within fifteen days after an election for representative in the general court, transmit to the state secretary an attested copy...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Number of ballots cast; statement at length - Chapter 54, Section 130
  The whole number of ballots cast at elections shall be stated in words at length in the records of votes and in all copies thereof,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Violations; effect on records - Chapter 54, Section 131
  A violation by a public officer or election officer of laws relative to providing ballot boxes, blank forms and other apparatus or to the care...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Number of names checked; certification - Chapter 54, Section 132
  The city or town clerk shall, within fifteen days after an election of state, city or town officers, certify to the state secretary the total...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Number of registered voters, etc.; report - Chapter 54, Section 133
  The state secretary shall before February first of each year report to the general court the number of registered voters in each city and town...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Contested elections; retention of ballots; recounts - Chapter 54, Section 134
  If a person who has received votes for any office at an election shall, within thirty days thereafter, himself or by his agent serve upon...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Petition for recount; filing; contents; examination; recounts; notice; amendment of records - Chapter 54, Section 135
  A petition for a recount may be filed with the city or town clerk on or before five o’clock post meridian on the sixth day...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Recount where voting machines used; period during which machines locked and sealed - Chapter 54, Section 135A
  For recounts of any election in an election district where voting machines are used all records of the election shall be transmitted to the registrars...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Recount where electronic voting system used; petition specifying recount by hand - Chapter 54, Section 135B
  The recount of the votes cast in any polling place where an electronic voting system is used shall consist of the inserting of the original...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Information regarding ballots cast by challenged voters - Chapter 54, Section 136
  No officer recounting ballots shall, except as required by law, make any statement or give any information relative to a ballot cast by a challenged
• Massachusetts General Laws - Election results in cities; declaration before recounts; certificates of election - Chapter 54, Section 137
  The city clerk shall not declare the result of an election for city officers or of a vote upon any question submitted to the voters...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Presidential electors - Chapter 54, Section 138
  If, upon examination of the copies of the records of votes for presidential electors, it appears that a majority of the whole number of electors...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 2004, 236, Sec. 5 - Chapter 54, Section 139
  Repealed, 2004, 236, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Senators and representatives in congress; vacancies - Chapter 54, Section 140
  (a) Upon failure to choose a senator or representative in congress or upon creation of a vacancy in that office, the governor shall immediately cause...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Representatives in general court; vacancies - Chapter 54, Section 141
  Upon a vacancy in the office of representative in the general court or upon failure to elect, the speaker of the house of representatives shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - District attorneys and county officers - Chapter 54, Section 142
  Upon failure to choose a district attorney, clerk of the courts or in Suffolk county of the supreme judicial or superior court, register of probate...
• Massachusetts General Laws - County treasurers; registers of deeds - Chapter 54, Section 143
  Upon failure to choose a county treasurer or a register of deeds for a county or district, except Suffolk and Nantucket counties, the county commissioners...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Register of deeds; vacancies - Chapter 54, Section 143A
  Upon a vacancy by removal or otherwise in the office of register of deeds in a county or district in which said office is under...
• Massachusetts General Laws - County commissioners - Chapter 54, Section 144
  Upon failure to choose a county commissioner, the board of examiners shall forthwith issue precepts to the aldermen of each city and to the selectmen...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Death after election but before term - Chapter 54, Section 145
  If a person elected to any of the offices mentioned in the 4 preceding sections dies before the first Wednesday of January following his election,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Notice to state secretary - Chapter 54, Section 146
  The county commissioners in each county shall forthwith notify the state secretary of any vacancy in the office of county treasurer or of register of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Elections to fill vacancies - Chapter 54, Section 147
  At elections held because of a failure to elect or to fill vacancies, the proceedings shall be the same, so far as applicable, as in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Meetings; organization; record of proceedings - Chapter 54, Section 148
  The persons chosen as presidential electors shall meet at the state house on the date fixed by federal law next following their election at three...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Compensation - Chapter 54, Section 149
  Each elector shall receive from the commonwealth three dollars for each day of attendance, and one dollar for every five miles of travel from his...
• Massachusetts General Laws - State officers - Chapter 54, Section 150
  At the biennial state election there shall be chosen by the voters of the commonwealth, as prescribed by the constitution, a governor, lieutenant governor, state...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Presidential electors - Chapter 54, Section 151
  At the biennial state election in each year in which presidential electors are required to be elected, a number of electors, equal to the whole...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Senators in congress - Chapter 54, Section 152
  At the biennial state election in nineteen hundred and twenty-two, and in every sixth year thereafter, and in nineteen hundred and twenty-four, and in every...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Representatives in congress - Chapter 54, Section 153
  At each biennial state election a representative in congress shall be chosen by the voters in each congressional district.
• Massachusetts General Laws - District attorneys - Chapter 54, Section 154
  At the biennial state election in nineteen hundred and twenty-two, and in every fourth year thereafter, a district attorney shall be chosen by the voters...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Clerks of courts - Chapter 54, Section 155
  At the biennial state election in nineteen hundred and twenty-two, and in every sixth year thereafter, the clerk of the courts in counties other than...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Registers of probate - Chapter 54, Section 156
  At the biennial state election in nineteen hundred and twenty-four, and in every sixth year thereafter, a register of probate shall be chosen by the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Registers of deeds - Chapter 54, Section 157
  At the biennial state election in nineteen hundred and twenty-two, and in every sixth year thereafter, a register of deeds shall be chosen by the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - County commissioners - Chapter 54, Section 158
  There shall be chosen by the voters of each of the counties, except Suffolk and Nantucket, at the biennial state election in nineteen hundred and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Sheriffs - Chapter 54, Section 159
  At the biennial state election in nineteen hundred and twenty-six, and in every sixth year thereafter, a sheriff shall be chosen by the voters in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - County treasurers - Chapter 54, Section 160
  At the biennial state election in nineteen hundred and twenty-four, and in every sixth year thereafter, a county treasurer shall be chosen by the voters...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1972, 735, Sec. 10 - Chapter 54, Section 161
  Repealed, 1972, 735, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Regional district school committees members - Chapter 54, Section 162
  At the biennial state elections, members of regional district school committees elected at district-wide elections shall be chosen by the voters in each such district....

Last modified: September 11, 2015