SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other general or special law to the contrary, the town of Bedford may act by vote of its select board to cancel the municipal caucus scheduled to occur between January 1, 2021 and January 31, 2021 if such board concludes that holding the municipal caucus would constitute a threat to the public health and safety due to the 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. If said caucus is cancelled, nomination papers shall be used to nominate candidates pursuant to sections 7 and 10 of chapter 53 of the General Laws; provided, however, that such nomination papers shall be signed by not fewer than 10 registered voters of the town; provided, however, that to the extent that the forty-ninth day prior to the date of the election has passed, nomination papers shall be made available immediately, and shall be returned to the office of the board of registrars for certification no later than the date designated by the town clerk, which shall be no earlier than 36 days and no later than 32 days prior to the date of the election; provided further, that candidates shall be notified if their names will be placed on the ballot on the next business day after the deadline for filing, and the time for filing withdrawals and objections shall expire at 5:00 p.m. on the following business day.

SECTION 2.  If this act does not take effect until after the date of a scheduled municipal caucus during the governor’s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency, the actions of the select board and local election officials to postpone a municipal caucus shall be ratified, validated and confirmed as if this act had been in place prior thereto.