HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1918        FILED ON: 1/14/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 580

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act TO CHANGE THE VOTING SYSTEM USED IN MOST ELECTIONS IN MASSACHUSETTS TO APPROVAL VOTING..

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. Definition of Approval Voting

Approval Voting is a single winner voting system.  Each voter may vote for as many of the candidates as they wish.  The winner is the candidate receiving the most votes.  Each voter may vote for any combination of candidates and may give each candidate at most one vote.

Section 2.  Amending the General Laws

a)  Chapter 54 sec 106 shall be amended as follows:

     I. The phrase “If a voter marks more names than there are persons to be elected to an office”

     shall be replaced with “If a voter marks more names than they are entitled to vote for for that                    office”

     II. The phrase “If a voter writes in more than one name for candidates not on the ballot for a                    single office then those write-in votes shall not be counted” shall be added.

b) Chapter 50 sec 1 shall be amended by adding the definition of approval voting to the list of                 

     definitions.

Section 3.  Usage and Timing

Approval voting shall be the standard system used for elections to select a single winning candidate from a field of several.

In order to allow sufficient time for processes to be made, and election machinery to be prepared for this system, this act shall take effect for the elections held in 2012.