HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1390        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 662

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Tami L. Gouveia and Michael J. Barrett

_________________

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 establishing healthy voting habits among youth.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Tami L. Gouveia

14th Middlesex

1/16/2019

Michael J. Barrett

Third Middlesex

1/16/2019

Jack Patrick Lewis

7th Middlesex

1/22/2019

Julian Cyr

Cape and Islands

2/1/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1390        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 662

By Representative Gouveia of Acton and Senator Barrett, a joint petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 662) of Tami L. Gouveia, Michael J. Barrett and others for legislation to lower the voting age in local elections.  Election Laws.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act establishing healthy voting habits among youth.

 

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. Chapter 51 Section 1 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out (a) “any such election” and place therein “any state or federal election.”

SECTION 2. Chapter 51 of the General Laws in hereby amended by inserting after section 1F the following section:-

Section 1G. Voting for Citizens 16 years of age and older in city or town elections

Every citizen sixteen years of age or older, not being a person under guardianship or incarcerated in a correctional facility due to a felony conviction, and not being temporarily or permanently disqualified by law because of corrupt practices in respect to elections, who is a resident in the city or town where they claim the right to vote at the time they register, and who resides in a city or town where the city council, town meeting, selectboard, or other form of town governance granted right to vote by majority vote, and who has complied with the requirements of this chapter, may have their name entered on the list of voters in such city or town, and may vote therein in any such municipal, or except insofar as restricted in any town in which a representative town meeting form of government has been established, in any meeting held for the transaction of town affairs. Notwithstanding any special law to the contrary, every such citizen who resides within the boundaries of any district, as defined in section one A of chapter forty-one, may vote for district officers and in any district meeting thereof, and no other person may so vote.