HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5270        FILED ON: 9/18/2020

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 5083

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Antonio F. D. Cabral and William M. Straus

_________________

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 relative to polling place security and integrity.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Antonio F. D. Cabral

13th Bristol

9/18/2020

William M. Straus

10th Bristol

9/19/2020

Jay D. Livingstone

8th Suffolk

9/21/2020

David Paul Linsky

5th Middlesex

9/21/2020

Christopher Hendricks

11th Bristol

9/21/2020

Patricia A. Haddad

5th Bristol

9/21/2020

Stephan Hay

3rd Worcester

9/21/2020

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

9/21/2020

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

9/21/2020

Michael D. Brady

Second Plymouth and Bristol

9/21/2020

Carmine Lawrence Gentile

13th Middlesex

9/21/2020

Jack Patrick Lewis

7th Middlesex

9/22/2020

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

9/22/2020

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

9/23/2020

Natalie M. Higgins

4th Worcester

9/23/2020

Alan Silvia

7th Bristol

9/23/2020

Michelle M. DuBois

10th Plymouth

9/23/2020

James J. O'Day

14th Worcester

9/24/2020

Kenneth I. Gordon

21st Middlesex

9/25/2020


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5270        FILED ON: 9/18/2020

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 5083

By Messrs. Cabral of New Bedford and Straus of Mattapoisett, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Antonio F. D. Cabral, William M. Straus and others relative to polling place security and integrity.  Election Laws.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act relative to polling place security and integrity.

 

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

Chapter 54 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out section 72 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 72. (a) The board or officer in charge of the police force of each city and town shall detail a sufficient number of police officers or constables for each building that contains the polling place for one or more precincts at every election therein to preserve order and to protect the election officers and supervisors from any interference with their duties and to aid in enforcing the laws relating to elections; provided further, that this subsection may apply to section 25B at the discretion of the election officers and registrars for a city or town.

(b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, no county or state law enforcement officers, including but not limited to sheriffs, special sheriffs, and deputy sheriffs subject to chapter 37, officers employed or supervised thereby, and persons acting on their behalf, shall be permitted on the premises of a polling place or within 300 feet of a polling place to preserve order or to protect the election officers and supervisors from any interference with their duties or to aid in enforcing the laws relating to elections without the express written approval of both the secretary of public safety and security and the board or officer in charge of the police force of the city or town; provided further, that this subsection shall also apply to section 25B.