Massachusetts · statute · Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 55B · 12 active provisions
Section 1. There shall be a state ballot law commission consisting of five persons to be appointed by the governor, one of whom shall be a retired justice of the supreme judicial court, appeals court, superior court or district courts of the commonwealth who shall be chairman. The chairman shall serve for a term of one…
Section 2. No member of said commission shall hold any public office except that of justice of the peace, notary public, or be a candidate for public office, or member or employee of any political committee. If any member of the commission shall be nominated as a candidate for public office and shall not in writing dec…
Section 3. The members of the commission shall each be paid such compensation for their services not exceeding five thousand dollars annually, as the governor may determine, and shall be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties. The chairman of the commission shall cause the proce…
Section 4. The commission may investigate upon objection made in accordance with the provisions of this chapter the legality, validity, completeness and accuracy of all nomination papers and actions required by law to give candidates access to a state ballot or to place an initiative or referendum on a state ballot. Th…
Section 5. Objections to certificates of nomination and nomination papers for candidates at a presidential primary, state primary, or state election shall be filed with the state secretary within seventy-two hours succeeding five o'clock post meridian of the last day fixed for filing nomination papers. Candidates chall…
Section 6. This section applies only to candidates for president who file nomination papers to be placed on the ballot at presidential primaries, and to all candidates at regular state primaries and biennial state elections. Any candidate who has filed nomination papers with the local registrars and who has an insuffic…
Section 7. Objections to certificates of nomination, nomination papers, or withdrawals for city offices, or to petitions for local ballot questions shall be filed with the city clerk within two working days of the last day fixed for filing such nomination papers, withdrawals, or petitions, or of the day on which certif…
Section 8. The commission with respect to objections to certificates of nominations or nomination papers except those for a special primary or election shall by five o'clock post meridian of the Wednesday following the last day for filing such objections notify all parties involved that objection has been made to their…
Section 9. Hearings on objections to certificates of nomination or nomination papers, except for special primaries and elections, shall not be held prior to the second Monday following the Friday for filing such objections. Hearings on objections to signatures on initiative or referendum petitions shall not be held pri…
Section 10. The commission shall render a decision on any matter referred to it, pertaining to certificates of nomination or nomination papers for any presidential or biennial state primaries or any biennial state election or to withdrawals of nomination therefore, not later than five o'clock post meridian on the twent…
Section 11. If objection is filed under section five or section seven by a person duly nominated for any state, city or town office alleging that an apparent nomination for the same office is a fictitious or nonexisting person or that the name under which a person has been apparently nominated for such office is not hi…
Section 12. The commission shall be required to keep records of all decisions and an official transcript of all proceedings of the hearings. These documents shall be stored in the office of the state secretary. The commission shall upon written request provide any person appealing a decision by the commission a copy of…