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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1996 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 852
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Jack Patrick Lewis and Sean Garballey
_________________
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 youth voting and civic participation.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex1/15/2025Sean Garballey23rd Middlesex1/15/2025Tara T. Hong18th Middlesex3/12/2025 1 of 1
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1996 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 852
By Representatives Lewis of Framingham and Garballey of Arlington, a petition (accompanied
by bill, House, No. 852) of Jack Patrick Lewis and Sean Garballey relative to the eligibility of
certain seventeen year old persons to vote in preliminary or primary elections. Election Laws.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 809 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to youth voting and civic participation.
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 47A of chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition,
2is hereby amended by striking out the last sentence and inserting in place thereof the following
3sentence:– Subsequent to such pre-registration, a pre-registrant who is 17 years of age, when pre-
4registered as provided in this section, shall be eligible to vote at any preliminary or primary
5election to be held if they shall be the age of 18 years at the time of the subsequent special or
6general election and no other pre-registrant shall be allowed to vote until the pre-registrant
7obtains full age unless otherwise permitted by law.