HOUSE  .   .   .   .   .   .   .  No. 4793

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
______________________________________

                            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, May 17, 2022.                         

The committee on Ways and Means, to whom was referred the Bill relative to the preparation of certain bilingual ballots in the city of Malden (House, No. 3828), reports recommending that the same ought to pass with an amendment substituting therefor the accompanying bill (House, No. 4793) [Local Approval Received].

For the committee,

AARON MICHLEWITZ.

        FILED ON: 5/17/2022

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4793

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

An Act relative to the preparation of certain bilingual ballots in the city of Malden.

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. (a) As used in this section, the word “transliteration” shall mean the translation into the relevant Chinese characters to represent the phonetic equivalent of the syllables of an English name or a name in a language that is not traditionally written using Chinese characters.

(b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, in any state or federal primary or election in which the state secretary is required by federal law to print bilingual ballots in English and Chinese for use by voters of the city of Malden, the state secretary shall also provide for the transliteration of all candidates’ names.

(c) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, in any city preliminary election, primary or election in which the city clerk is required by federal law to print bilingual ballots in English and Chinese for use by the voters of the city of Malden, the city clerk shall also provide for the transliteration of all candidates’ names.

(d)(i) Any potential candidate in an election under subsection (b) or (c) may submit their name for transliteration after January 1 of that election year.

(ii) Each candidate in an election under subsection (b) or (c) shall be provided with a written copy of the proposed transliteration of that candidate’s name as early as feasible prior to the election.

(iii) Not later than 7 days after receiving the proposed transliteration of the candidate’s name pursuant to paragraph (ii), the candidate may request in writing any modification to the proposed transliteration of a candidate’s own name or may decline to have the candidate’s own name transliterated on the ballot.

(iv) The transliteration shall be subject to final approval by the state secretary for an election under subsection (b) or city clerk for an election under subsection (c).

(v) The state secretary or city clerk shall provide public notice of transliterated names as soon as practicable.

(e) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the city of Malden in any city preliminary election, primary or election or in any state or federal primary or election shall be responsible for the cost of transliteration and the state secretary shall be responsible for all other costs resulting from the implementation of this act, including, without limitation, the production of ballots.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.