HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2911        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 730

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Tommy Vitolo

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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 city and town clerks mailing of early voting ballots.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2911        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 730

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act relative to city and town clerks mailing of early voting ballots.

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. Paragraph (10) of subsection (a) of section 25B of chapter 54 of the General Laws, as appearing in section 10 of chapter 92 of the acts of 2022, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “available”, the following words:- , but not mailed more than 30 calendar days before the date of the preliminary, primary or election that the ballot pertains to. Early voting ballots shall not be picked up in person from the appropriate local election official more than 30 calendar days before the date of the preliminary, primary or election.

SECTION 2. Section 91B of said chapter 54, as amended by section 17 of said chapter 92, is hereby further amended by striking out subsections (a) and (b) and inserting in place thereof the following subsections:-

(a) Except as required by subsections (b) and (c), the ballot and accompanying papers shall be mailed postage prepaid and with return postage guaranteed or, if the voter so requests, delivered when called for at the office of the clerk, but not mailed more than 30 calendar days before the date of the preliminary, primary or election that the ballot pertains to. No ballot shall be mailed to a designated health care facility within the city or town where the voter is registered.

(b) To a voter who is a patient or resident at a designated health care facility, the ballot and accompanying papers shall be delivered, in person, by a registrar, assistant registrar or absent registration officer, at the designated address, but not delivered more than 30 calendar days before the date of the preliminary, primary or election that the ballot pertains to. For the purposes of this section, a “designated health care facility” shall mean a health care facility as defined in section 25B of chapter 111, within the city or town, which has been designated for the purpose of supervised absentee voting, in writing, and filed with the city or town clerk, not later than 28 days before a primary or election, by any 2 registrars or election commissioners.