AN ACT CHANGING THE TIMING OF PRELIMINARY ELECTIONS IN THE CITY KNOWN AS THE TOWN OF AGAWAM TO 8 WEEKS PRECEDING REGULAR ELECTIONS
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. Article 7 of the charter of the city known as the town of Agawam, which is on file in the office of the archivist of the commonwealth, as provided in section 12 of chapter 43B of the General Laws, is hereby amended by striking out section 7-1 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
Section 7-1 Town Elections: General and Preliminary
The regular town election shall be held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November in each odd numbered year.
On the eighth Tuesday preceding every regular town election, there shall be held a preliminary election for the purpose of nominating candidates.
SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, this act shall be submitted for acceptance to the qualified voters of the city known as the town of Agawam at the 2023 regular town election in the form of the following question:
"Shall an Act passed by the General Court in the year 2023 entitled ‘An Act changing the timing of preliminary elections in the city known as the town of Agawam to 8 weeks preceding regular elections' be accepted?"
Below the question shall appear a fair and concise summary of the proposed charter amendment prepared by the city solicitor.
If a majority of the votes cast in answer to this question are in the affirmative, section 1 shall take effect forthwith for all purposes relating to municipal elections held in the city known as the town of Agawam beginning in the year 2025, but not otherwise.
SECTION 3. The city solicitor shall prepare the summary required under section 2 not later than 35 days before the election in accordance with section 58A of chapter 54 of the General Laws.
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
Approved, September 27, 2023.