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PART I
TITLE VIII
CHAPTER 54
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PART I
ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT
(Chapters 1 through 182)
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TITLE VIII
ELECTIONS
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CHAPTER 54
ELECTIONS
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Section 1
Decennial division of cities into wards and precincts
Section 2
Division of cities and wards into voting precincts; census; effect upon formation of congressional, representative, senatorial or councillor districts
Section 3
Repealed, 1971, 820, Sec. 5
Section 4
New divisions of cities into wards, when effective; congressional districts
Section 5
Maps or descriptions of new divisions; publication and posting
Section 6
Division of towns into voting precincts
Section 7
Changes in voting precincts of towns
Section 7A
Dividing precincts to facilitate voting; applicable laws
Section 8
Maps or descriptions of new precincts; posting
Section 9
Discontinuance of voting precincts
Section 9A
Redivision into precincts or districts; elections thereafter; census
Section 10
Changes in wards; notice to state secretary
Section 11
Election officers in certain cities
Section 11A
Deputies
Section 11B
Filing for appointment in cities; procedure; eligibility; examinations
Section 12
Election officers in towns; procedure; eligibility; examinations
Section 13
Party representation; term of office; removal
Section 14
Vacancies; filling
Section 15
Eligibility of candidates
Section 16
Deputies; duties
Section 16A
Vacancies; appointments to fill
Section 17
Ballot clerks; duties
Section 18, 19
Repealed, 1960, 431, Sec. 4
Section 20
Oath of office
Section 21
Repealed, 1960, 431, Sec. 4
Section 22
Compensation of election officers
Section 23
Supervisors of elections; political party representation; violations
Section 24
Designation of polling places
Section 25
Marking shelves and guard rails
Section 25A
Display of national flag
Section 26
State ballot boxes; furnishing
Section 27
Blank forms and envelopes for returns; injury, tampering, or destruction; penalties
Section 28
Care, custody and repair of ballot boxes, counting apparatus, and voting machines
Section 29
Replacement of defective, lost or destroyed ballot boxes
Section 30
Voting place or precinct seals; use and custody
Section 30A
Custodians of voting machines; duties; eligibility
Section 31
Sending ballot boxes, blank forms, and counting apparatus to polls; installation of voting machines; voters’ authority certificates
Section 32
Examination and approval of voting equipment
Section 33
Requirements and use of voting machines, electronic voting systems, and ballots
Section 33A
Additional requirements for voting machines
Section 33B
Use of voting machines; regulations; mechanical failures
Section 33C
Instructions to voter after entering voting machine booth; re-entry after voting
Section 33D
Voting for persons not listed on ballot labels of machine
Section 33E
Electronic voting systems; marking implements; stickers or pasters on ballots; inspection; instructions to voters; write-in candidates
Section 33F
Computers and counting units; central tabulation centers; preparation; testing
Section 33G
Lease or purchase of marking units or tabulating units; bonds from manufacturers or distributors
Section 33H
Election officers for tabulation center; tabulation of votes
Section 34
Use of voting machines by cities and towns
Section 35
Public exhibition of voting machines; instruction to voters; delivery to polls; examination
Section 35A
Challenged or absent voting ballots where voting machines used; questions submitted to voters
Section 35B
Casting challenged votes where voting machines used; counting votes
Section 36
Number of election officers present when voting machines used
Section 37
Regulations for use of voting machines, ballot boxes, etc.
Section 38
Repealed, 1977, 930, Sec. 8
Section 39
Seller’s bonds; electronic voting systems, voting machines or ballot boxes
Section 40
Preparation and furnishing
Section 41
Names; residences; political designation; incumbents
Section 41A
Governor and lieutenant governor candidates; grouping party nominees; order
Section 42
Arrangement of names; blank spaces; name of city or town, etc.
Section 42A
Questions submitted to voters; designation
Section 42B
Public policy questions; placement on ballots
Section 42C
Deadline for ballot questions
Section 43
Presidential electors; arrangement of names
Section 43A
State elections and primaries; officers to be elected; manner and order of appearance on ballots
Section 44
Official ballots
Section 45
Number of ballots provided; ballot labels for voting machines
Section 46
Packaging ballots; record
Section 47
Vacancies; printing ballots
Section 48
Cards of instruction; specimen ballots; copies of information for voters material
Section 48A
Voters’ bill of rights; postings; preparation and revision
Section 49
Lists of candidates; copies of proposed constitutional amendments or laws
Section 50
City elections; posting names of candidates
Section 51
Town elections; posting names of candidates
Section 52
Lists of candidates; questions submitted to voters; availability for publication; state and city elections
Section 53
Mailing lists of voters; copies of measures, summaries, ballot question titles, statements and arguments to voters; public examination; petition for amendment
Section 54
Arguments on measures; preparation; submission, filing; printing; mailing
Section 55 to 58
Repealed, 1991, 234, Sec. 11
Section 58A
General Laws submitted to municipal voters for acceptance; form of question; filing date
Section 59
Packaging and delivery to city or town clerks
Section 60
Duties of city and town clerks; delivery to polls; receipts
Section 61
Failure to deliver; substitute ballots
Section 62
Biennial state elections
Section 63
Calling city and town elections; notice
Section 64
Notices or warrants; requisites; time of opening and closing polls
Section 65
Activities at polling places; regulations; penalties
Section 66
State ballot boxes; use and custody
Section 67
Voting lists; delivery and use; voting by persons not on list
Section 67A
Additional state ballot boxes; use in towns
Section 68
Statements made before public declaration of vote; penalties
Section 69
Persons permitted within guard rail
Section 70
Number of voters permitted within guard rail; voters in line at closing time
Section 71
Presiding officers; powers and duties
Section 71A
Supervision of election officers in cities and towns
Section 72
Preservation of order by police
Section 73
Smoking or intoxicating liquors in polling places prohibited; penalties
Section 74
Detention of offenders; effect on right to vote
Section 75
Report of violations; prosecutions
Section 76
Voting; giving name and address upon request; delivery of ballot
Section 76A
Repealed, 1975, 95
Section 76B
Failure to present voter identification; right to challenge vote
Section 76C
Provisional ballot
Section 77
Marking ballots
Section 77A
Repealed, 1972, 400, Sec. 8
Section 78
Voting for presidential electors, governor, and lieutenant governor; marking ballots
Section 78A
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
Section 79
Assistance in marking ballots
Section 80
Prohibited markings; use of red pencils or red ink by election officers
Section 81
Spoiled ballots
Section 82
Folding ballots; time for marking ballots
Section 83
Deposit of ballots, voting list check, endorsement
Section 84
Removal of ballots before close of polls
Section 85
Challenge of person’s right to vote, procedures
Section 85A
Challengers
Section 86
Absent or physically disabled voters
Section 87
Preparation of absent voting ballots, envelopes, instructions
Section 88
Distribution of absent voting ballots
Section 89
Applications; seasonably filed; spoiled ballots; application by family member
Section 89A
Repealed, 1993, 475, Sec. 37
Section 90
Repealed, 1946, 140, Sec. 14
Section 91
Applications; filing and certification; notation on voting lists; posting
Section 91A
Applications of specially qualified voters
Section 91B
Delivery of ballots
Section 92
Method of voting
Section 93
Time for mailing or delivering ballots
Section 94
Examination of ballots; acceptance or rejection
Section 95
Duties of election officers; deposit of absent voting ballots; receipt and counting of federal write-in absentee ballots
Section 96
Challenges
Section 97
Immaterial irregularities
Section 98
Absent voter unable to mark ballot
Section 99
Late ballots; disposition
Section 100
Voting in person; death of absent voter
Section 101
Repealed, 1987, 438, Sec. 8
Section 102
Printed information and instructions as to absent voting
Section 103
Jurisdiction of courts
Section 103A
Sections applicable to city and town elections, primaries and caucuses, and to regional vocational school district elections
Section 103B to 103H
Repealed, 1993, 475, Sec. 46
Section 103I
Repealed, 1967, 115, Sec. 1
Section 103J to 103O
Repealed, 1993, 475, Sec. 46
Section 103P
City or town elections; preliminary elections or primaries
Section 103Q
Informality; liberal construction
Section 104
Use of state blank forms and apparatus; canvass of votes
Section 105
Proceedings at close of polls; counting votes; announcing and recording results
Section 105A
Electronic voting methods; proceedings at close of polls; counting of ballots; announcement of vote; transportation to tabulation center
Section 106
Defective ballots
Section 107
Enclosing and sealing ballots and voting lists; certification
Section 108
Copies of voting lists as checked
Section 109
Ballots and lists; custody; disposition
Section 110
Rejection of records
Section 110A
Central tabulation facilities
Section 111
Examination of precinct records; errors; certification
Section 112
Copies of records of votes to state secretary
Section 113
Unsealed copies transmitted to state secretary; proceedings
Section 114
Endorsement or memorandum of receipt
Section 115
Copies of records of votes to governor and council; examination; determination of results
Section 116
Certification of results; summons; certificates of election
Section 116A
Election of person not listed on state ballot; financial interest statement
Section 117
Return to state secretary; laying before legislature; filing
Section 118
Presidential electors; copies of records of votes; proclamations; certificate of election
Section 119
Petition to court for declaration of election; notice; hearing
Section 120
Procedure; compulsion and immunity of witness
Section 121
Examination of records; certificates of election; notice to state secretary
Section 122
Board of examiners; duties; certificates of election; notice to state secretary
Section 123
Incomplete records; new copies of returns
Section 124 to 128
Repealed, 1946, 130, Sec. 4
Section 129
Copies of returns of votes; transmittal to state secretary
Section 130
Number of ballots cast; statement at length
Section 131
Violations; effect on records
Section 132
Number of names checked; certification
Section 133
Number of registered voters, etc.; report
Section 134
Contested elections; retention of ballots; recounts
Section 135
Petition for recount; filing; contents; examination; recounts; notice; amendment of records
Section 135A
Recount where voting machines used; period during which machines locked and sealed
Section 135B
Recount where electronic voting system used; petition specifying recount by hand
Section 136
Information regarding ballots cast by challenged voters
Section 137
Election results in cities; declaration before recounts; certificates of election
Section 138
Presidential electors
Section 139
Repealed, 2004, 236, Sec. 5
Section 140
Senators and representatives in congress; vacancies
Section 141
Representatives in general court; vacancies
Section 142
District attorneys and county officers
Section 143
County treasurers; registers of deeds
Section 143A
Register of deeds; vacancies
Section 144
County commissioners
Section 145
Death after election but before term
Section 146
Notice to state secretary
Section 147
Elections to fill vacancies
Section 148
Meetings; organization; record of proceedings
Section 149
Compensation
Section 150
State officers
Section 151
Presidential electors
Section 152
Senators in congress
Section 153
Representatives in congress
Section 154
District attorneys
Section 155
Clerks of courts
Section 156
Registers of probate
Section 157
Registers of deeds
Section 158
County commissioners
Section 159
Sheriffs
Section 160
County treasurers
Section 161
Repealed, 1972, 735, Sec. 10
Section 162
Regional district school committees members
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