SECTION 1. Chapter 271 of the acts of 1933 is hereby amended by striking out section 4, as most recently amended by section 1 of chapter 180 of the acts of 2001, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 4. (a) Nominations of candidates for town meeting members to be elected under this act shall be made by nomination papers, which shall bear no political designation, shall be signed by not less than 30 voters of the precinct in which the candidate resides, and shall be filed with the town clerk at least 35 days before the election. No nomination papers shall be valid in respect to any candidate whose written acceptance is not thereon or attached thereto when filed.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the fourth paragraph of section 10 of chapter 53 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, any incumbent town meeting member, excluding an elected town meeting member who removes from one precinct to another or is so removed by revision of precincts may, without filing nomination papers, become a candidate for reelection as a town meeting member for the same precinct in which the incumbent member currently resides, by giving written notice thereof to the town clerk at least 30 days before the election.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.