HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3745        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Erika Uyterhoeven and Mike Connolly

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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 providing for legal voting rights in municipal elections for non-citizen residents of the city of Somerville.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3745        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE [Refile Branch], NO.          OF 2021-2022.]

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 providing for legal voting rights in municipal elections for non-citizen residents of the city of Somerville.

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. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1 of chapter 51 of the General  Laws or any other general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, any non-citizen residing in the City of Somerville, who is ineligible to vote due to citizenship status under state law, but who is otherwise eligible to vote under state law, may upon application have their names entered on a list of voters established by the board of election commissioners for the city of Somerville and may thereafter vote in any election for local offices and local ballot questions in accordance with this Act. Such non-citizen residents shall remain eligible to vote in in any election for local offices and local ballot questions in the City of Somerville for so long as they remain domiciled in the City of Somerville. For the purposes of this Act, “local voters” are anyone who is eligible to vote pursuant to this act in a local election or upon a local ballot question in the City of Somerville.

SECTION 2. Said board of election commissioners shall establish a separate registration list for local voters who shall fill out an alternative registration form. Said board shall create and print, at the city of Somerville's expense, the special registration form needed for the purpose of registering local voters.

SECTION 3. Said board is hereby authorized to promulgate regulations, guidelines and forms to implement the purpose of this act. The voter registration forms shall include a declaration to be signed under pains and penalties of perjury by the voter applicant that they are a resident of the city of Somerville.

SECTION 4. The City of Somerville is hereby authorized to pass ordinances to implement the purpose of this act subject to all the provisions of the Somerville city charter.

SECTION 5. If a local ballot question appears on a state election ballot, the board shall print a separate ballot for the local ballot question at the expense of the City of Somerville.

SECTION 6. Nothing in this act shall be construed to confer upon local voters the right to vote for any state or federal office or any state or federal ballot questions.

SECTION 7. Any local voter who becomes eligible to vote in an election in accordance with the provisions of section 1 of chapter 51 of the General Laws shall be taken off the separate registration list and notified that he or she may register as a regular voter in accordance with state law, regulations, and guidelines.