Amendment ID: S2545-22

Amendment 22

Advancing the Primary Date and Enhancing Vote By Mail

Ms. Rausch, Ms. DiZoglio and Ms. Gobi move that the proposed new draft be amended in section 11, in line 241, by inserting after the word “a” the following words:- preliminary,;

And further moves to amend said section 11, in lines 242-243, by striking out the words “biennial state” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- preliminary, primary or;

And further moves to amend said section 11, in line 243, by striking the word “third” and inserting in place thereof the following:- seventh;

And further moves to amend the bill by inserting at the end thereof the following new section:-

Section XX. Chapter 53 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out the first paragraph of section 28 and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

State primaries shall be held on the second Tuesday in June in even-numbered years and on the fourth Tuesday preceding special state elections, except that primaries before special elections for senator or representative in congress shall be held on the sixth Tuesday preceding said elections. If a religious holiday falls on or immediately before the second Tuesday in June in an even-numbered year, the state primary shall be held on a date set by the general court within seven days of the second Tuesday in June. The state secretary shall publish the date of the state primary not later than February 1 of each even-numbered year by:

(i) providing notice of the date to the state parties;

(ii) filing notice with the state publications and regulations division;

(iii) posting the information on the website of the state secretary; and

(iv) any other means necessary to ensure sufficient and proper notification to residents of the commonwealth eligible to vote.

Presidential primaries shall be held on the first Tuesday in March in any year in which presidential electors are to be elected. Municipal preliminaries before city and town elections shall be held on or before the forty-ninth day preceding such elections. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, any town may hold its preliminary or regular town elections on the same date designated as the date to hold a presidential primary, in any year in which presidential electors are to be elected, or a state primary, in any even-numbered year, provided that such election is by a ballot independent of the ballot used for a presidential or state primary.