SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1964        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 426

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Jason M. Lewis, (BY REQUEST)

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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 to improve the fairness, and public transparency of all individuals, who may have, and/or intersect, with election officials, in the commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1964        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 426

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 480 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 to improve the fairness, and public transparency of all individuals, who may have, and/or intersect, with election officials, in the commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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. The Massachusetts General Laws are hereby amended by inserting the following new chapter:

Election Integrity Qualifications Improvement Act

PURPOSE – It being within the competence, and purposes of The Constitution of Massachusetts, and the laws of The Commonwealth, to accomplish many suitable legal purposes, including the process, and decision making of elections, in such manner, as to provide integrity, transparency, and the following of appropriate qualifications, for the various, and several offices, that may be placed on the ballot, this legislation is established to improve such standards.

While members of political parties, are nominally members, by choice, of quasi-private organizations; insofar as they directly, and indirectly, participate in the process of public, and democratic choice, in our republican system of government, they are performing specific purposes of public law, and purpose.

Further, in the performance of their activities, some such individuals, often participate formally, and/or informally, in the selection of specific public officials, who are compensated as public employees, to conduct the honest, and efficient performance of elections.

SECTION 2. Therefore, it is in the public interest, for such individuals, to have improved qualifications, that will further improve the commitment of political, and electoral officials, and the confidence of voters, and the effectiveness of those operations.

All such persons, as are elected to be members of Massachusetts political party State Committees, and members of city ward committees, city committees, and town committees, shall be sworn, or affirmed, into their political party offices, by conventional legal oath, or affirmation, as to their solemn acceptance of following the Constitution, and Laws, faithfully; including respect, following, and carrying out of all electoral laws, and regulations.

Such individuals, shall have the Oath, or Affirmation Of Office, delivered, at their Organizing Meeting, after their election, having been on a public ballot; by the appropriate local official, be they the City Clerk, the Town Clerk, or by another designated official, clearly responsible to such Clerks, such as the Chair of an Election Commission, or Board of Registrars of Voters.

The City Chair, or Town Chair, of a political party, once sworn in, or affirmed, shall be authorized to provide such Oath, or Affirmation, to those individuals subsequently appointed, elected, or otherwise designated, to fill legal vacancies.

A written record, including the signature of those persons taking such Oath, or Affirmation, and the individual administering the oath, shall be established, in a conventional process, as further defined, by appropriate regulations, authorized by the Secretary of State of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and may, in fact, accompany conventional records of Organizing Meetings, and names of official members of such political organizations.