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

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding section 1 of chapter 41, sections 10 and 13 of chapter 43B of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the composition, mode of election and terms of office of the board of selectmen in the town of Charlton shall be governed by the following: There shall be a board of selectmen, consisting of 5 members elected by the voters for 3 year terms, so arranged that the term of office of at least 1 member, but not more than 2 members, shall expire each year. As the terms of office of the incumbent members of the selectmen expire, candidates shall run for the office of selectman by the number assigned to a specific seat. No person may be a candidate for more than 1 numbered seat at any 1 election. The election ballots for each year in which more than 1 selectman is to be elected shall set forth each position to be filled as a separate position, designated position 1 and position 2 respectively. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes for each position shall be declared elected to such position. The selectmen who hold office as of the effective date of this act shall continue to serve until their terms of office expire.

SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the acts and proceedings taken by the town of Charlton in adopting a by-law by vote under article 24 of the warrant for the special town meeting held October 8, 2002 with respect to the mode of election and composition of its board of selectmen and at the annual town election held on May 3, 2003, and all actions taken pursuant thereto, and hereby ratified, validated and confirmed, notwithstanding any defect or omission in the warrant for, or any other procedural matters or lack of legal authority with respect to, such by-law and election.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage.