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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3788 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 670
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Mike Connolly, (BY REQUEST)
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act enabling children’s right to vote.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Robin Chen129 Franklin St. Cambridge, MA
02139
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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3788 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 670
By Representative Connolly of Cambridge (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, House,
No. 670) of Robin Chen for legislation to enable children’s right to vote. Election Laws.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act enabling children’s right to vote.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 1 of Chapter 50 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting in alphabetical position:-
3 “Capacity to make voting decisions independently” shall mean having the ability to
4understand and appreciate the nature and consequences of voting decisions, including the
5benefits and risks of and alternatives to any candidate for office, referendum question, or matter
6of public affairs, and to reach an informed decision, without significant input from a caregiver
7 SECTION 2. The first sentence of Section 1 of Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as
8appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by replacing “years” with “days” and
9by removing “a person under guardianship or”
10 SECTION 3. Section 1 of chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
11Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the first sentence the following:- 2 of 4
12 Section 2. A voter who lacks capacity to make voting decisions independently who
13arrives willingly at a polling site with a family member may receive from this family member
14any guidance, support, or executive assistance necessary to cast their ballot, except that no such
15ballot may be counted if the voter informs the presiding officer that the ballot should not count.
16 SECTION 4. Subsection (a) of Section 4 of Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing
17in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended in the first sentence, by replacing “three years”
18with “one day.”
19 SECTION 5. Section 4 of chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
20Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section (e) the following subsection:-
21 (f) The name and address of any person under the age of 17 who so requests shall appear
22on the street list.
23 SECTION 6. Section 4A of Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
24Official Edition, is hereby amended by replacing the first sentence with the following:-
25 During the course of the annual listing of residents, the registrars shall notify residents of
26the opportunity to register themselves or their dependent family members as voters and shall
27provide residents with assistance in registering themselves or their dependent family members to
28vote.
29 SECTION 7. Section 14 of Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
30Official Edition, is hereby amended by replacing “years” with “days”
31 SECTION 8. Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition,
32is hereby amended by inserting, after Section 26A, the following sections:- 3 of 4
33 Section 26B. (a) The state secretary, in consultation with the commissioner of the
34department of public health, the registrar of the registry of vital records and statistics, the
35commissioner of early education and care, and the president of the most populous member
36organization whose mission is to advance pediatric medical care, shall establish a non-partisan
37baby and caregiver voter challenge program and shall promulgate regulations to implement the
38program in participating birth centers, childcare centers, and pediatric medical practices in the
39commonwealth; provided, however, that the regulations shall identify registration time periods
40that allow eligible persons to participate in all municipal and state elections, including primary
41elections.
42 (b) Directors of programs shall ensure that each voter challenge program implemented in
43their organization provides opportunities for outreach and for all eligible voters to register to
44vote, regardless of whether or not the eligible voter has a formal relationship with their
45organization.
46 Section 26C. (a) The state secretary, in consultation with the commissioner of elementary
47and secondary education, the board of elementary and secondary education, and the executive
48director of the most populous member organization whose mission is to advance afterschool
49programming shall establish a non-partisan voter challenge program and shall promulgate
50regulations to implement the program in participating schools and afterschool or community
51centers in the commonwealth; provided, however, that the regulations shall identify registration
52time periods that allow eligible voters to participate in all municipal and state elections,
53including primary elections. 4 of 4
54 (b) Superintendents of schools shall ensure that each voter challenge program
55implemented in their districts provides opportunities for outreach and for all eligible voters to
56register or pre-register to vote on any participating school or afterschool campus. An enrolled
57student may apply to serve as a voter outreach coordinator or be selected to serve as a voter
58outreach coordinator by a peer nomination process.
59 SECTION 9. Section 42 of Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
60Official Edition, is hereby amended by replacing “16 years” with “18 days”
61 SECTION 10. Section 47A of Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
62Official Edition, is hereby repealed.
63 SECTION 11. Section 50 of Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
64Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after “commonwealth”:-
65 who becomes eighteen days of age after the final time for registration under said section
66twenty-six, or