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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 568 FILED ON: 1/10/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 808 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Tackey Chan |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act requiring a residency affidavit by a candidate. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Tackey Chan2nd Norfolk1/10/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 568 FILED ON: 1/10/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 808 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Chan of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 808) of Tackey |
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| 19 | 19 | | Chan relative to requiring residency affidavits for candidates for public office. Election Laws. |
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| 20 | 20 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 21 | 21 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 666 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 22 | 22 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 23 | 23 | | _______________ |
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| 24 | 24 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 26 | 26 | | _______________ |
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| 27 | 27 | | An Act requiring a residency affidavit by a candidate. |
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| 28 | 28 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 29 | 29 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 30 | 30 | | 1 Chapter 53 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2amended by inserting after section 11 the following new section:- |
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| 32 | 32 | | 3 Section 11A. A person seeking to be a candidate to hold a state, county or municipal |
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| 33 | 33 | | 4office shall be required, by the deadline for filing nomination papers, to submit an affidavit |
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| 34 | 34 | | 5affirming that they satisfy the residency requirement pursuant to the State Constitution, general |
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| 35 | 35 | | 6laws, special laws, city charter, town charter and municipal laws. Any person seeking to |
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| 36 | 36 | | 7challenge a candidate’s residency shall do so in writing with the city or town clerk for municipal |
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| 37 | 37 | | 8elections or the Secretary of State for state and county elections; provided that said challenge |
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| 38 | 38 | | 9must take place no less than 10 days prior to the date when a candidate can withdraw their |
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| 39 | 39 | | 10candidacy. The person seeking to challenge may include documentation to support the lack of 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 11residency claim. Upon receipt of the challenge, the city clerk, town clerk or the Secretary of |
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| 41 | 41 | | 12State shall require the candidate provide proof of residency and issue a written decision within 5 |
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| 42 | 42 | | 13days after the initial challenge; and if the challenge is upheld, the candidate’s nomination shall be |
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| 43 | 43 | | 14withdrawn. The Secretary of State shall establish rules and regulations on what is required for |
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| 44 | 44 | | 15proof of residency, the form of the affidavit, process of initiating challenges and process of |
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| 45 | 45 | | 16review and implementation of this section. |
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