HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 94880        FILED ON: 7/14/2010

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4880

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Ten

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An Act regarding the preparation of certain ballots in the city of Boston..

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.  As used in this act, the following words shall, unless the context requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-

“Board”, the board of election commissioners of the city of Boston.

“Chinese surname”, any surname which appears on the Lauderdale and Kestenbaum list of Chinese surnames.

“City”, the city of Boston.

“Election”, the choice by the voters of any public officer and to the taking of a vote upon any question by law submitted to the voters.

“Transliteration”, the printing of relevant Chinese characters to represent the phonetic equivalent of the syllables of an English name or a name in a language that is not traditionally written using Chinese characters.

“State election”, an election at which a national, state, or county officer or a regional district school committee member elected district-wide is to be chosen by the voters, whether for a full term or for the filling of a vacancy.

“Vietnamese surname”, any surname which appears on the Lauderdale and Kestenbaum list of Vietnamese surnames.

SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding section 40 of chapter 54 of the General Laws, or any other general or special law to the contrary, in federal and state elections the state secretary shall prepare bilingual ballots in English and Chinese and in English and Vietnamese in addition to any other bilingual ballots required by law in the designated polling places within the city as required by section 4 of this act.

SECTION 3.   Notwithstanding section 58 of the charter of the city, or any other general or special law to the contrary, in all city preliminary or final elections the board shall cause bilingual ballots in English and Chinese and in English and Vietnamese in addition to any other bilingual ballots required by law, in the designated polling places within the city as required by section 4 of this act.

SECTION 4.   Bilingual ballots in English and Chinese shall be provided in every polling place in the city where there are at least 35 registered voters with Chinese surnames.  Bilingual ballots in English and Vietnamese shall be provided in every polling place in the city where there are at least 30 registered voters with Vietnamese surnames. 

At least 1 bilingual ballot in English and Chinese per registered voter with a Chinese surname shall be provided in each designated polling place.  At least 1 bilingual ballot in English and Vietnamese per registered voter with a Vietnamese surname shall be provided in each designated polling place.  In any district, county, state or federal primary or general election the state secretary may provide additional sets of bilingual ballots for any polling place in the city if the secretary deems it necessary.  In all preliminary or final elections the election department of Boston may provide additional sets of bilingual ballots for any polling place in the city if the department deems necessary.

SECTION 5.   The board in all city preliminary or final elections and the state secretary in all federal and state elections shall provide for the transliteration of all candidates’ names for bilingual ballots in English and Chinese.  All candidates shall be provided with a written copy of the proposed transliteration of candidate's name. Within 7 days of receiving the proposed transliterations of candidate's name, a candidate may provide written notice to the board or state secretary of a modification of the proposed transliteration of candidate's own name or decline to have candidate's own name transliterated on the ballot.  The transliteration shall be subject to final approval by the board in all city preliminary or final elections or the state secretary in all federal and state elections.  The board or state secretary shall provide public notice of transliterated names as soon as practicable.

SECTION 6.   The city shall record the number of bilingual ballots in English and Chinese and in English and Vietnamese that are printed, requested or used in all elections held in the city.

SECTION 7.  The provisions of this act shall take effect on January 1, 2011. 

SECTION 8.  The provisions of this act shall expire on December 31, 2013.