{"Title":"An Act extending voting rights in municipal elections to noncitizen voters of the commonwealth","BillNumber":"H810","DocketNumber":"HD2170","GeneralCourtNumber":194,"PrimarySponsor":{"Id":"M_C1","Name":"Mike Connolly","Type":1,"Details":"https://malegislature.gov/api/GeneralCourts/194/LegislativeMembers/M_C1","ResponseDate":"2025-01-15T16:56:53.917"},"Cosponsors":[{"Id":"M_C1","Name":"Mike Connolly","Type":1,"Details":"https://malegislature.gov/api/GeneralCourts/194/LegislativeMembers/M_C1","ResponseDate":"2025-01-15T16:56:53.9166667"}],"JointSponsor":null,"BillHistory":"https://malegislature.gov/api/GeneralCourts/194/Documents/H810/DocumentHistoryActions","LegislationTypeName":"Bill","Pinslip":"By Representative Connolly of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 810) of Mike Connolly relative to extending voting rights in municipal elections to noncitizen voters.  Election Laws.","DocumentText":"\tChapter 51 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 1F the following section:–\r\n\tSection 1G.  (a) As used in this section the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:\r\n\t“municipal election”, an election for mayor, school committee, city council, town council, board of selectmen, select board elections, a school committee referendum, a local ballot referendum or other municipal elections. \r\n\t“noncitizen voter”, a person 18 years of age or older with legal immigration status who is not a citizen of the United States. \r\n\t“noncitizen voting limitations”, a noncitizen voter’s inability to vote for: (1) the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate or Member of the House of Representatives pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 611; (2) a state office; or (3) initiative petitions authorized under article XLVIII of the constitution.\r\n\t“noncitizen voter registration form”, a voter registration form that only a noncitizen voter uses.\r\n\t“noncitizen voting rights”, a noncitizen voter’s right to: (1) vote in a municipal election; (2) participate in a town meeting; and (3) be a candidate and serve, if duly elected, in a municipal elected office.  \r\n\t“town meeting”, an open town meeting or a representative town meeting established pursuant to chapter 43A. \r\n\t(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1 of chapter 51 or any other general or special law to the contrary, a municipal election official shall enter a noncitizen voter’s name on a list of noncitizen voters upon the noncitizen voter’s submission of a noncitizen voter registration form. Within 5 days of entering the noncitizen voter’s name on the list, the municipal election officer shall notify the noncitizen voter: (1) of the noncitizen voting rights; (2) of the noncitizen voting limitations; and (3) that voting in a federal election may jeopardize the noncitizen’s application for United States citizenship. \r\n\t(c) For as long as the noncitizen voter remains a resident of the town in which the noncitizen voter has registered to vote, the noncitizen voter may exercise the noncitizen voting rights. A noncitizen voter shall only remain registered to vote in one municipality at a time.     \r\n\t(d) The state secretary shall issue a noncitizen voter registration form. The voter registration form shall include a declaration to be signed under pains and penalties of perjury by the noncitizen voter that the noncitizen is a resident of the municipality in which the noncitizen voter desires to vote. \r\n\t(e) The state secretary and the election officer of a municipality shall disseminate the noncitizen voter registration form at the same places and in the same manner that the state secretary and election officer of a municipality disseminate the voter registration form for a United States citizen. \r\n\t(f) The state secretary shall issue regulations to implement this section.\r\n","EmergencyPreamble":null,"RollCalls":[],"Attachments":[],"CommitteeRecommendations":[{"Action":"Accompanied","FiscalAmounts":[],"Committee":{"CommitteeCode":"J15","GeneralCourtNumber":194,"Details":"https://malegislature.gov/api/GeneralCourts/194/Committees/J15"},"Votes":[]}],"Amendments":[]}