Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S508 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. 1783 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 508
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Sal N. DiDomenico, (BY REQUEST)
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 enabling children’s right to vote.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Robin Chen 1 of 4
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1783 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 508
18	18	By Mr. DiDomenico (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 508) of Robin
19	19	Chen, for legislation to enable children’s right to vote. Election Laws.
20	20	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
21	21	SEE SENATE, NO. 412 OF 2023-2024.]
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
25	25	(2025-2026)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act enabling children’s right to vote.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. Section 1 of Chapter 50 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
31	31	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting in alphabetical position:-
32	32	3 “Capacity to make voting decisions independently” shall mean having the ability to
33	33	4understand and appreciate the nature and consequences of voting decisions, including the
34	34	5benefits and risks of and alternatives to any candidate for office, referendum question, or matter
35	35	6of public affairs, and to reach an informed decision, without significant input from a caregiver
36	36	7 SECTION 2. The first sentence of Section 1 of Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as
37	37	8appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by replacing “years” with “days” and
38	38	9by removing “a person under guardianship or” 2 of 4
39	39	10 SECTION 3. Section 1 of chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
40	40	11Official  Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the first sentence the following:-
41	41	12 Section 2. A voter who lacks capacity to make voting decisions independently who
42	42	13arrives willingly at a polling site with a family member may receive from this family member
43	43	14any guidance, support, or executive assistance necessary to cast their ballot, except that no such
44	44	15ballot may be counted if the voter informs the presiding officer that the ballot should not count.
45	45	16 SECTION 4. Subsection (a) of Section 4 of Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing
46	46	17in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended in the first sentence, by replacing “three years”
47	47	18with “one day.”
48	48	19 SECTION 5. Section 4 of chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
49	49	20Official  Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section (e) the following subsection:-
50	50	21 (f) The name and address of any person under the age of 17 who so requests shall appear
51	51	22on the street list.
52	52	23 SECTION 6. Section 4A of Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
53	53	24Official Edition, is hereby amended by replacing the first sentence with the following:-
54	54	25 During the course of the annual listing of residents, the registrars shall notify residents of
55	55	26the opportunity to register themselves or their dependent family members as voters and shall
56	56	27provide residents with assistance in registering themselves or their dependent family members to
57	57	28vote.
58	58	29 SECTION 7. Section 14 of Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
59	59	30Official Edition, is hereby amended by replacing “years” with “days” 3 of 4
60	60	31 SECTION 8. Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition,
61	61	32is hereby amended by inserting, after Section 26A, the following sections:-
62	62	33 Section 26B. (a) The state secretary, in consultation with the commissioner of the
63	63	34department of public health, the registrar of the registry of vital records and statistics, the
64	64	35commissioner of early education and care, and the president of the most populous member
65	65	36organization whose mission is to advance pediatric medical care, shall establish a non-partisan
66	66	37baby and caregiver voter challenge program and shall promulgate regulations to implement the
67	67	38program in participating birth centers, childcare centers, and pediatric medical practices in the
68	68	39commonwealth; provided, however, that the regulations shall identify registration time periods
69	69	40that allow eligible persons to participate in all municipal and state elections, including primary
70	70	41elections.
71	71	42 (b) Directors of programs shall ensure that each voter challenge program implemented in
72	72	43their organization provides opportunities for outreach and for all eligible voters to register to
73	73	44vote, regardless of whether or not the eligible voter has a formal relationship with their
74	74	45organization.
75	75	46 Section 26C. (a) The state secretary, in consultation with the commissioner of elementary
76	76	47and secondary education, the board of elementary and secondary education, and the executive
77	77	48director of the most populous member organization whose mission is to advance afterschool
78	78	49programming shall establish a non-partisan voter challenge program and shall promulgate
79	79	50regulations to implement the program in participating schools and afterschool or community
80	80	51centers in the commonwealth; provided, however, that the regulations shall identify registration 4 of 4
81	81	52time periods that allow eligible voters to participate in all municipal and state elections,
82	82	53including primary elections.
83	83	54 (b) Superintendents of schools shall ensure that each voter challenge program
84	84	55implemented in their districts provides opportunities for outreach and for all eligible voters to
85	85	56register or pre-register to vote on any participating school or afterschool campus. An enrolled
86	86	57student may apply to serve as a voter outreach coordinator or be selected to serve as a voter
87	87	58outreach coordinator by a peer nomination process.
88	88	59 SECTION 9. Section 42 of Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
89	89	60Official Edition, is hereby amended by replacing “16 years” with “18 days”
90	90	61 SECTION 10. Section 47A of Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
91	91	62Official Edition, is hereby repealed.
92	92	63 SECTION 11. Section 50 of Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
93	93	64Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after “commonwealth”:-
94	94	65 who becomes eighteen days of age after the final time for registration under said section
95	95	66twenty-six, or.