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 issue precepts to the aldermen of each city and the selectmen of each town comprising the district or any part thereof, app…

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 or sheriff, the governor shall cause precepts to be issued to the proper officers, directing them to call an election o…

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 shall forthwith issue precepts to the aldermen of each city and the selectmen of each town in such county or dis…

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 the general superintendency or jurisdiction of the secretary of the commonwealth the secretary shall forthwith issue precepts for an elect…

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 of each town in such county, directing them to call an election to elect such officer on a day appointed therein. Upo…

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, the office shall be filled as in case of a vacancy.

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 deeds; and the board of examiners shall give like notice to the state secretary of any vacancy in the office of count…

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 elections to the same office at the biennial state election.

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 o'clock in the afternoon and organize by the choice of a presiding officer and secretary. The state secretary shall call …

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 residence to the place of meeting.

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 a candidate for election; and if a person appointed an election officer becomes such a candidate, and does not forthwith resign his office, t…

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 secretary, state treasurer, state auditor and attorney general; by the voters in each councillor district…

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 number of senators and representatives in congress to which the commonwealth is entitled, shall be chosen by the voters of …

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 sixth year thereafter, a senator in congress shall be chosen by the voters of the commonwealth.

Section 153. At each biennial state election a representative in congress shall be chosen by the voters in each congressional district.

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 in each of the districts into which the commonwealth is divided for the administration of the criminal law.

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 Suffolk, and in Suffolk the clerk of the supreme judicial court for that county and the clerks of the superior court …

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 voters of each county.

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 voters of each district for the registry of deeds, and of each county not divided into districts.

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 forty, and in every fourth year thereafter, two county commissioners for said county, and at the biennial state election …

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 each county.

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 is vacant, the deputy of such officer shall act for that election in his place. If the warden and deputy warden, clerk and deputy clerk, or a…

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 in each county, except Suffolk and Nantucket.

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. The length of such terms of office shall be determined by the regional school districts; provided, …

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 not present at the opening of the polls, the city or town clerk may appoint a person to fill such vacancy who shall be an enrolled voter o…

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 inspectors of different political parties to act as ballot clerks, who shall have charge of the ballots and shall furnish…

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 constitute a voting precinct by itself, or shall be divided into precincts containing as nearly as may…

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 clerk at the polls, or any officer qualified to administer oaths, and a record thereof shall be made.

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 attendance at the opening of the polls or for services in place of an absent officer.

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 election therein, the governor may appoint, for such ward or town for each voting precinct named in the petition, two voters of the city…

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 the biennial state or annual or biennial city election and ten days at least before any special election …

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 shelves or compartments where voters may conveniently and secretly mark their ballots; and they shall cause a guar…

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 polling place during the hours when voting is taking place thereat.

Section 25B. (a)(1) The election officers and registrars of every city or town shall allow any registered voter qualified under section 1 of chapter 51 to vote early by mail for any municipal preliminary or election or presidential or state primary or election, including any such…

Section 25C. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following words shall have the following meanings: ''Applicable statewide election'', a presidential or regular state primary or biennial state election or a primary or election held pursuant to section 140 to fill a vacancy …

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 therein under the provisions of section seven A with a state ballot box approved by the state secretary in accordance with se…

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 be made at his office, with such printed directions thereon as he may deem necessary; and such other blank for…

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 the commonwealth, and of voting machines used in such city or town. He shall have the care and custody thereof, and see that they …

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 another ballot box at the expense of such city or town.

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 of such voting place or precinct; and such seal shall be used in sealing all envelopes or other containers required by law to be use…

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 or more custodians of voting machines, who shall assist him or them in the preparation and upkeep …

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 an election or meeting at which the same are required to be used, the ballot box, blank forms and counting and other apparatus. Where vot…

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 the minimum requirements for such equipment imposed by law and whether the use of such eq…

Section 33. Voting machines shall furnish convenient, simple and satisfactory means of voting at primaries and elections and of ascertaining and recording the true result thereof with facility and accuracy, special regard being given to the prevention and detection of double voti…

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 may be written in or a paster or sticker affixed by a voter who desires to vote for a person whose name does not …

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 so requested, an election officer shall instruct voters outside the guard rail in the manner of operating the machine. When the…

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 systems are used, shall ask for further instructions concerning the manner of operating the machine or marking unit,…

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 be written or affixed or enclosed on or in the appropriate place on the machine provided for that purpose, or it shall not be count…

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 his ballot with special inks, or in a special manner, in conformity with the approved electronic voting system in use. The city or tow…

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 punched cards, the city or town clerk shall designate, no later than one week prior to the date of the primary, preliminary electio…