SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1543        FILED ON: 1/16/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 389

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Richard J. Ross

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act requiring photo identification to receive a ballot.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Richard J. Ross

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

Timothy R. Whelan

1st Barnstable

Shawn Dooley

9th Norfolk

Leonard Mirra

2nd Essex

Stephen L. DiNatale

3rd Worcester

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

Robert L. Hedlund

Plymouth and Norfolk

Donald F. Humason, Jr.

Second Hampden and Hampshire

Viriato M. deMacedo

Plymouth and Barnstable

Ryan C. Fattman

Worcester and Norfolk

Leah Cole

12th Essex

Kevin J. Kuros

8th Worcester


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1543        FILED ON: 1/16/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 389

By Mr. Ross, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 389) of Richard J. Ross, Shawn Dooley, Leonard Mirra, Stephen L. DiNatale and other members of the General Court for legislation to require photo identification to receive a ballot.  Election Laws.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 335 OF 2013-2014.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

_______________

 

An Act requiring photo identification to receive a ballot.

 

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. Section 76 of chapter 54 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the section in its entirety and inserting the following words:-

Section 76. Each voter desiring to vote at a polling place shall provide a name, residential address, and valid photo identification. Valid forms of photo identification are: a Massachusetts driver’s license, U.S. Passport, Student ID, or Massachusetts ID card. If a voter needs to obtain valid identification, a Massachusetts ID card will be issued at no cost by the Department of Transportation’s Registry of Motor Vehicles. If such name is found on the voting list, the election officer shall check and repeat the name and shall admit the voter to the space enclosed by the guard rail and, in case of official ballots, other than those marked "Challenged Ballots" as provided by section  thirty-five A, are used, such voter shall be given one ballot. The use of electronic means such as tape recording equipment or radio broadcasting equipment for the recording or broadcasting of the names of the voters not yet checked as having voted shall be prohibited.

SECTION 2. Section 76B of chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 2, the words “when so requested by an election officer”.