Massachusetts Statutes

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…

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 shall give to the city or town clerk a bond, with sufficient sureties, to keep such units in working order for at least t…

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, inclusive, the following election officers: a warden, a deputy warden, a clerk and deputy clerk and…

Section 33I. (a) The state secretary shall examine all types of electronic poll books and determine whether such equipment complies with the minimum requirements for such equipment imposed by regulation promulgated by the state secretary and whether the use of such equipment woul…

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, at a meeting held at least one hundred and twenty days before the primary, preliminary election or election at which voting machines are to be used, deter…

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 elections where voting machines are used. Before every primary and election they shall cause to be placed on public exhibit…

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 by law, shall be deposited in ballot boxes provided in accordance with law. For such polling places, the sta…

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 cast his vote by the use thereof, but shall be supplied by the presiding officer at the polling place with an official ballot prepared under se…

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 place may be less than six in the discretion of the board, body or official in which or in whom the authority to determine the numbe…

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, character and kind of ballots, ballot labels, ballot cards, formats, re…

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 the purchase is made shall give to the state secretary, city or town clerk or election commissioners, as the case may be, a bo…

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 shall be held in such city as redivided. In the division of wards into voting precincts under this chapter, no voting …

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 of city or town officers, by the city or town clerk. Ballots for use in an electronic voting system shall be in a form appro…

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 therein, and, except as provided in section forty-three, they shall contain the name of no other person. To the name of each…

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 groups, according to their political party or designation; except, in the case where two candidates have the same sur…