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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4555 FILED ON: 4/9/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4033
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Erika Uyterhoeven and Mike Connolly
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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 providing for legal voting rights in municipal elections for non-citizen residents of the
city of Somerville.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Erika Uyterhoeven27th Middlesex4/9/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4555 FILED ON: 4/9/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4033
By Representatives Uyterhoeven of Somerville and Connolly of Cambridge, a petition
(accompanied by bill, House, No. 4033) of Erika Uyterhoeven (with the approval of the mayor
and city council) relative to providing for legal voting rights in municipal elections for non-
citizen residents of the city of Somerville. Election Laws. [Local Approval Received.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act providing for legal voting rights in municipal elections for non-citizen residents of the
city of Somerville.
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. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1 of chapter 51 of the General
2Laws or any other general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, any non-citizen
3residing in the City of Somerville, who is ineligible to vote due to citizenship status under state
4law, but who is otherwise eligible to vote under state law, may upon application have their names
5entered on a list of voters established by the board of election commissioners for the city of
6Somerville and may thereafter vote in any election for local offices and local ballot questions in
7accordance with this Act. Such non-citizen residents shall remain eligible to vote in in any
8election for local offices and local ballot questions in the City of Somerville for so long as they
9remain domiciled in the City of Somerville. For the purposes of this Act, “local voters” are
10anyone who is eligible to vote pursuant to this act in a local election or upon a local ballot
11question in the City of Somerville. 2 of 2
12 SECTION 2. Said board of election commissioners shall establish a separate registration
13list for local voters who shall fill out an alternative registration form. Said board shall create and
14print, at the city of Somerville's expense, the special registration form needed for the purpose of
15registering local voters.
16 SECTION 3. Said board is hereby authorized to promulgate regulations, guidelines and
17forms to implement the purpose of this act. The voter registration forms shall include a
18declaration to be signed under pains and penalties of perjury by the voter applicant that they are a
19resident of the city of Somerville.
20 SECTION 4. The City of Somerville is hereby authorized to pass ordinances to
21implement the purpose of this act subject to all the provisions of the Somerville city charter.
22 SECTION 5. If a local ballot question appears on a state election ballot, the board shall
23print a separate ballot for the local ballot question at the expense of the City of Somerville.
24 SECTION 6. Nothing in this act shall be construed to confer upon local voters the right to
25vote for any state or federal office or any state or federal ballot questions.
26 SECTION 7. Any local voter who becomes eligible to vote in an election in accordance
27with the provisions of section 1 of chapter 51 of the General Laws shall be taken off the separate
28registration list and notified that he or she may register as a regular voter in accordance with state
29law, regulations, and guidelines.