Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S429 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1050 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 429
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Liz Miranda
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act granting the city of Boston the authority to endow legal voting rights in municipal
13	13	elections for city of Boston residents aged 16 and 17 years old.
14	14	_______________
15	15	PETITION OF:
16	16	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Liz MirandaSecond Suffolk 1 of 2
17	17	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1050 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
18	18	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 429
19	19	By Ms. Miranda, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 429) of Liz Miranda (with the
20	20	approval of the mayor and city council) for legislation to grant the city of Boston the authority to
21	21	endow legal voting rights in municipal elections for city of Boston residents aged 16 and 17
22	22	years old. Election Laws. [Local Approval Received.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
26	26	(2023-2024)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act granting the city of Boston the authority to endow legal voting rights in municipal
29	29	elections for city of Boston residents aged 16 and 17 years old.
30	30	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
31	31	of the same, as follows:
32	32	1 SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1 of chapter 51 of the General
33	33	2Laws or any other general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, any individual aged
34	34	316 or 17 years old residing in the City of Boston, who is ineligible to vote due to age under state
35	35	4law, but who is otherwise eligible to vote under state law, may upon application have their names
36	36	5entered on a list of voters established by the board of election commissioners for the City of
37	37	6Boston. Such individuals on the list of voters may vote in any election for local offices and local
38	38	7ballot questions in accordance with this Act. For the purposes of this Act, "local voters" are
39	39	8anyone who is eligible to vote pursuant to this Act in a local election or upon a local ballot
40	40	9question in the City of Boston.
41	41	10 SECTION 2. Said board of election commissioners shall establish a separate registration
42	42	11list for local voters who shall fill out an alternative registration form. Upon turning eighteen, 2 of 2
43	43	12each local voter shall be taken off the separate list and notified that he or she must register as a
44	44	13regular voter in accordance with state law, regulations, and guidelines, in order to be eligible to
45	45	14vote. Said board shall create and print, at the city of Boston's expense, the special registration
46	46	15form needed for the purpose of registering local voters.
47	47	16 SECTION 3. Said board is hereby authorized to promulgate regulations, guidelines and
48	48	17forms to implement the purpose of this act.
49	49	18 SECTION 4. If a local ballot question appears on a state election ballot, the board shall
50	50	19print a separate ballot for the local ballot question at the expense of the City of Boston.
51	51	20 SECTION 5. The City of Boston is hereby authorized to pass ordinances to implement
52	52	21the purpose of this act subject to all the provisions of the Boston city charter.
53	53	22 SECTION 6. Nothing in this act shall be construed to confer upon local voters the right to
54	54	23vote for any state or federal office or any state or federal ballot questions.