Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S503 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. 636 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 503
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Cynthia Stone Creem
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 decoupling the municipal census from voter registration.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Cynthia Stone CreemNorfolk and MiddlesexJames B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester1/28/2025Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk1/30/2025Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester2/6/2025Patricia D. JehlenSecond Middlesex2/19/2025Bruce E. TarrFirst Essex and Middlesex2/26/2025William J. Driscoll, Jr.Norfolk, Plymouth and Bristol3/5/2025 1 of 5
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 636 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 503
18	18	By Ms. Creem, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 503) of Cynthia Stone Creem, James
19	19	B. Eldridge, Sal N. DiDomenico, Jacob R. Oliveira and other members of the Senate for
20	20	legislation to decouple the municipal census from voter registration. Election Laws.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
24	24	(2025-2026)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act decoupling the municipal census from voter registration.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. Subsection (c) of section 4 of chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing
30	30	2in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the words “for 2 consecutive
31	31	3years shall result in removal from the active voting list and may result in removal from the voter
32	32	4registration rolls” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- may result in a fine.
33	33	5 SECTION 2. Chapter 51 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out sections
34	34	637, 37A and 38, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following 2 sections:-
35	35	7 Section 37. (a) The registrars shall maintain a register of voters, in this chapter sometimes
36	36	8called the register or the annual register, which shall contain the names and residential addresses
37	37	9of all registered voters in their city or town and reflect the names and residential addresses
38	38	10contained in the central registry of voters maintained by the state secretary under section 47C.
39	39	11The registrars shall add to the register the name and residential address of every person
40	40	12registering to vote under section 33A or 42 or automatically registered under sections 42G½ and 2 of 5
41	41	1365. The registrars shall correct any error in the register after due investigation; provided,
42	42	14however, that the registrars shall only remove a name from the register in a manner consistent
43	43	15with the requirements of subsection (c).
44	44	16 (b) The register shall not include the name of a voter who provides the registrars with a
45	45	17copy of a court order granting protection, evidence of residence in a protective shelter or an
46	46	18affidavit signed by a chief of police or designee that the voter is entitled to have certain
47	47	19information withheld from the public inspection under section 24C of chapter 265.
48	48	20 (c) The registrars shall remove a voter’s name and address from the register if and only if:
49	49	21 (i) the voter so requests in writing;
50	50	22 (ii) the registrars receive notice from the city or town clerk under section 14, or a death
51	51	23record from the department of public health, indicating that the voter has died;
52	52	24 (iii) the registrars receive official written notice that the voter is: (a) incarcerated for a
53	53	25felony conviction; (b) disqualified by law because of corrupt practices in respect to elections; or
54	54	26(c) under guardianship that prohibits voting;
55	55	27 (iv) the registrars receive official written notice that the voter is registered to vote in
56	56	28another jurisdiction;
57	57	29 (v) the registrars determine that the voter is illegally or incorrectly registered after
58	58	30complaint, notice and hearing under sections 48 and 49; or
59	59	31 (vi) the registrars determine that that voter no longer resides in their city or town under
60	60	32section 38. 3 of 5
61	61	33 (d) The state secretary shall adopt regulations to implement this section. To the extent
62	62	34feasible, the state secretary shall automate processes using the central registry of voters under
63	63	35section 47C.
64	64	36 Section 38. (a) The registrars shall maintain an inactive voters list. The registrars shall
65	65	37remove a voter’s name and address from the register of voters and add it to the inactive voters
66	66	38list the registrars receive information that the voter no longer resides in their city or town from:
67	67	39(i) permanent change-of-address information supplied by the United States Postal Service or its
68	68	40licensee; or (ii) the Electronic Registration Information Center, Inc. under section 47C.
69	69	41 (b) Registrars receiving information under subsection (a) showing that the voter has
70	70	42changed residence within their city or town shall update the voter’s address in the register
71	71	43accordingly and notify the voter in writing.
72	72	44 (c) Whenever the registrars remove a voter’s name and address from the register of voters
73	73	45and add it to the inactive voters list under subsection (a), the registrars shall mail to the voter at
74	74	46the address in the register a notice that the name of the voter may be removed from the voting list
75	75	47if the voter fails to respond to such notice and does not vote during the period ending with the
76	76	48second biennial state election following the mailing of the notice. The notice shall: (i) be postage
77	77	49prepaid; (ii) contain a return card preaddressed to the city or town clerk with return postage
78	78	50guaranteed; (iii) be sent by forwardable mail; (iv) instruct the voter to return the card before the
79	79	51last day to register if the voter did not change residence from the city or town; and (v) contain
80	80	52additional information about remaining eligible to vote, as prescribed by the state secretary. 4 of 5
81	81	53 (d) A voter whose name is on the inactive voters list may vote in the voter’s assigned
82	82	54precinct on a regular ballot upon the voter’s written affirmation of continued residence in the city
83	83	55or town.
84	84	56 (e) The registrars shall restore to the register of voters the name and address of a voter on
85	85	57the inactive voters list who notifies the registrars in writing of continued residence in the city or
86	86	58town or who votes in any primary or election, applies for a mail ballot, signs a nomination paper
87	87	59or petition for a ballot question using an address in their city of town or performs acts governed
88	88	60by this chapter or chapters 52, 53 or 54 that require such use of an address in their city or town.
89	89	61 (f) The registrars shall remove from the inactive voters list the name of a voter that has
90	90	62not been restored to the register under subsection (e) after 2 biennial state elections following the
91	91	63mailing of the notice under subsection (c). The registrars shall mail forwardable notice to the
92	92	64voter that the voter’s name has been removed from the inactive voters list; provided, however,
93	93	65that such notice shall also include information about remaining eligible to vote, as prescribed by
94	94	66the state secretary.
95	95	67 (g) The state secretary shall adopt regulations to implement this section. To the extent
96	96	68feasible, the state secretary shall automate processes using the central registry of voters under
97	97	69section 47C.
98	98	70 SECTION 3. Section 42 of said chapter 51, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
99	99	71striking out the second sentence.
100	100	72 SECTION 4. Whenever the term “annual register of voters” or “annual register,”
101	101	73meaning the annual register of voters, appears in any statute, charter, regulation, contract, or 5 of 5
102	102	74other document, that term means the register of voters established in section 37 of chapter 51 of
103	103	75the General Laws