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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 140 FILED ON: 1/10/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 718
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Adam Scanlon
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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 relative to early voting cost reimbursements.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Adam Scanlon14th Bristol1/10/2023Joseph D. McKenna18th Worcester1/11/2023Jeffrey Rosario Turco19th Suffolk1/20/2023Kelly W. Pease4th Hampden1/25/2023Steven Ultrino33rd Middlesex1/30/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 140 FILED ON: 1/10/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 718
By Representative Scanlon of North Attleborough, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
718) of Adam Scanlon and others relative to early voting cost reimbursements for cities and
towns. 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 relative to early voting cost reimbursements.
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 25B of chapter 54 of the General Laws is hereby amended by
2inserting after subsection (q) the following subsection:
3 (r) the commonwealth shall pay to each city and town an amount sufficient to defray the
4mandated costs imposed on the city or town under the provisions of this section, including
5additional personnel hired to staff the mandated early voting polling location, hourly municipal
6staff working outside their normal business hours to staff the mandated early voting polling
7location, overtime for hourly municipal staff working beyond regular hours to setup or take
8down early voting polling locations, overtime for hourly municipal staff working beyond regular
9hours to input data into the secretary of state’s Voter Registration Information System, the cost
10of voting booths, and the cost of privacy screens. In every year not later than September
11fifteenth, the state auditor shall determine and deliver to the state secretary a statement of the
12incremental costs attributed to this section and estimated to be incurred by each city and town in 2 of 2
13the next fiscal year. The state secretary shall include in his budget recommendations for such
14fiscal year a request for an appropriation in an amount equal to such estimated costs, and shall
15distribute to each city or town its share of any such appropriated funds not more than thirty days
16prior to the date upon which said costs shall be incurred by the city or town. Funds so distributed
17to each city or town shall be deposited in the general fund of the city or town and shall be
18expended without further appropriation by the city or town to meet the costs incurred by it under
19the provisions of this act.