Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H823 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2322 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 823
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Paul J. Donato
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 relative to election emergencies.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Paul J. Donato35th Middlesex1/16/2025 1 of 2
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2322 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 823
18	18	By Representative Donato of Medford, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 823) of Paul
19	19	J. Donato relative to the regulation of elections in certain emergency situations. Election Laws.
20	20	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
21	21	_______________
22	22	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
23	23	(2025-2026)
24	24	_______________
25	25	An Act relative to election emergencies.
26	26	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
27	27	of the same, as follows:
28	28	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 54 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 official edition, is
29	29	2amended by inserting after 62 the following section:
30	30	3 “62A. Postponement and extension of qualifying periods for elections for public office
31	31	4during state of emergency; Procedures for the Orderly Administration of Elections; Limitations.
32	32	5 Section 62A. (a) The state secretary shall have the authority to regulate elections in
33	33	6emergency situations, including when the governor declares a state of emergency or a federal
34	34	7agency declares a state of emergency or disaster exists. Such authorization shall include, but not
35	35	8be limited to:
36	36	9 (1)Postponing or extending the qualifying periods provided in this chapter for the
37	37	10qualification of candidates seeking municipal, county, or state-wide office; and
38	38	11 (2)Postponing the date of any primary, special primary, preliminary, election, or
39	39	12special election in the affected area; and 2 of 2
40	40	13 (3)Providing for procedures for the orderly conduct elections; and
41	41	14 (4)In the case of municipal elections, postponing or suspending such local election,
42	42	15including a preliminary, after consultation with local election officials.
43	43	16 Any such postponement or extension shall not exceed 45 days.
44	44	17 (b) The secretary of the commonwealth shall adopt, by rule or regulation, an elections
45	45	18emergency contingency plan, which shall contain goals and policies that give specific direction
46	46	19to state and local elections officials when an election has been suspended or delayed due to an
47	47	20emergency or alternate voting procedures are necessary. The contingency plan shall address, but
48	48	21not be limited to, the following concerns:
49	49	22 (1)Providing a procedure for state and local elections officials to follow when an
50	50	23election has been suspended or delayed to ensure notice of the suspension or delay to the proper
51	51	24authorities, the electorate, the communications media, poll workers, and the custodians of polling
52	52	25places.
53	53	26 Providing a procedure for the release and certification of election returns and documents
54	54	27relating to the election to the secretary’s office for elections suspended or delayed and
55	55	28subsequently rescheduled under the provisions this section.”