HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1145        FILED ON: 1/14/2025

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

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Steven S. Howitt

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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 increase the safety and security of unattended ballot boxes.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1145        FILED ON: 1/14/2025

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

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 695 OF 2023-2024.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act to increase the safety and security of unattended ballot boxes.

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

Chapter 54 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after Section 71A the following new Section:-

Section 71B. Surveillance of Unattended Ballot Drop Boxes

(a) Every election officer in a city or town shall provide 24-hour video surveillance of each unattended ballot drop box within their jurisdiction, and shall post a sign on or near each drop box indicating that it is under constant surveillance.

(b) The cameras used for surveillance: (1) may be motion-activated, (2) shall record footage, and (3) shall be operational during all types of elections.

(c) The footage recorded: (1) may be stored in a cloud storage or physical location, as determined by the city or town, and (2) shall be retained for a minimum of 22 months after each election it records.