SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2632

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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

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SENATE, April 13, 2020.

The committee on Senate Rules to whom was referred the Senate Bill relative to election ballots (Senate, No. 416), - reported, in part, a "Bill relative to nomination signatures" (Senate, No. 2632).

For the committee,

Joan B. Lovely

        FILED ON: 4/10/2020

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2632

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

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

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An Act relative to nomination signatures.

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to ensure forthwith that the commonwealth’s democratic processes remain fair, honest and orderly while ensuring that candidates show a significant modicum of support in the communities that they seek to represent, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
 

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

Notwithstanding chapter 53 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, nomination papers for candidates for an office to be filled at the 2020 state election or for nomination at a state primary in 2020 shall be signed in the aggregate by not less than:

(i) for United States senator in congress, 5,000 voters;

(ii) for representative in congress, 1,000 voters; and

(iii) for governor’s councillor and county offices, 500 voters; provided, however, that in the counties of Nantucket and Dukes county, nomination papers for county offices shall be signed by 25 voters as required under said chapter 53.

Nothing in this act shall change any other filing requirement under said chapter 53.