Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Chapter 34 of the acts of 1979 is hereby amended by striking out section 7 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 7. If at the expiration of the time for filing nomination papers of candidates to be voted at the preliminary election, not more than three times as many such papers have been filed with the town clerk for at least one office as there are persons to be elected to such office, the candidates whose nomination papers have been filed shall be deemed to have been nominated to said office and their names shall be voted on for such office, at the succeeding regular or special election, as the case may be, and the preliminary election shall not be held. If there is at least one office where more than three times as many nomination papers have been filed then the preliminary election shall be held and all the offices shall be listed on the ballot.

Nominations that are written on the ballot for the preliminary election shall be five in number and meet the requirements of section 6 to be listed as nominees on the ballot for the regular or special election.