Bill S.2918

FILED ON: 1/15/2026

SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2918

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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

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An Act enhancing safety and security for candidates and professionals.

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. Clause Twenty-sixth of section 7 of chapter 4 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended in subclause (o) by striking out, in lines 232-233, the words “the home address, personal email address and home telephone number of” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “the residential or home-based office address, personal email address and home, home-based office or personal mobile telephone number of a candidate for public office, an elected official,”.

SECTION 2. Said clause Twenty-sixth of section 7 of said chapter 4, as so appearing, is hereby further amended in subclause (p) by striking out, in lines 243-244, the words “home address, personal email address and home telephone number of” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “the residential or home-based office address, personal email address and home, home-based office or personal mobile telephone number of a candidate for public office, an elected official or”.

SECTION 3. Section 5 of chapter 53 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 4, the word “residences” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “municipalities of residence”.

SECTION 4. Section 6 of said chapter 53, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 17, the word “addresses” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “municipalities of residence”.

SECTION 5. Section 8 of said chapter 53, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 3, the words “his residence, with street and number, if any” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “their municipality of residence; provided, however, that the secretary shall through alternate means collect each candidate’s residential address, with street and number, if any, which shall be maintained by the secretary in accordance with clause Twenty-sixth of section 7 of chapter 4”.

SECTION 6. Section 34 of said chapter 53, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 30-31, the words “the street and number, if any, of his residence” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “their municipality of residence; provided, however, that the secretary shall through alternate means collect each candidate’s residential address, with street and number, if any, which shall be maintained by the secretary in accordance with clause Twenty-sixth of section 7 of chapter 4”.

SECTION 7. Section 45 of said chapter 53, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 2 and 3, the words “his residence, with street and number thereof, if any” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “their municipality of residence”.

SECTION 8. Section 106 of said chapter 53, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 12, the words “street and number, if any, of his residence” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “municipality, precinct or ward, or both, as applicable, of the residence of a candidate”.

SECTION 9. Section 41 of chapter 54 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 official edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 6 and 7, the words “he resides, with the name of the street and the number, if any, of his residence” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “the candidate resides”.

SECTION 10. Said section 41 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 8-11, the third sentence and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “To the name of each candidate for a county office shall be added the name of the city or town where the candidate resides. To the name of each candidate for city or town office shall be added the ward or precinct where the candidate resides, or both ward and precinct, as applicable.”.

SECTION 11. Said section 41 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 28-29, the words “the name of the street on which they reside, with their street number, if any, and”.

SECTION 12. Section 41A of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 5, the words “christian names and addresses” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “first names”.

SECTION 13. Section 42 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 34, the word “address” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “municipality of residence”.

SECTION 14. Said section 42 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 41 and 44, the word “addresses” each time it appears and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- “municipalities of residence”.

SECTION 15. Section 49 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 3, the word “residences” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “municipalities of residence”.

SECTION 16. Section 50 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 2, the word “residences” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “wards or precincts of residence, or both, as applicable”.

SECTION 17. Section 51 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 3, the word “residences” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “wards or precincts of residence, or both, as applicable”.

SECTION 18. Section 77 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding, in line 7, after the word “and” the following words:- “municipality of”.

SECTION 19. Section 78 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding, in line 19, after the word “and” the following words:- “municipality and state of”.

SECTION 20. Section 78A of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 4, the word “addresses” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “municipalities of residence”.

SECTION 21. Said section 78A of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 5, the word “addresses” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “municipalities and states of residence”.

SECTION 22. Sections 1 and 2 of this act shall take effect upon its passage.

SECTION 23. Sections 3 through 21 of this act, inclusive, shall take effect on January 1, 2027.