1 of 1 SENATE DOCKET, NO. 925 FILED ON: 1/15/2025 SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 520 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts _________________ PRESENTED BY: Jason M. Lewis, (BY REQUEST) _________________ 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 to improve the fairness, and public transparency of all individuals, who may have, and/or intersect, with election officials, in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. _______________ PETITION OF: NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Vincent Dixon60 Lake St Apt N Winchester MA 01890 1 of 3 SENATE DOCKET, NO. 925 FILED ON: 1/15/2025 SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 520 By Mr. Lewis (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 520) of Vincent Dixon, for legislation to improve the fairness, and public transparency of all individuals, who may have, and/or intersect, with election officials, in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Election Laws. [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION SEE SENATE, NO. 426 OF 2023-2024.] The Commonwealth of Massachusetts _______________ In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court (2025-2026) _______________ An Act to improve the fairness, and public transparency of all individuals, who may have, and/or intersect, with election officials, in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. 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 1. The Massachusetts General Laws are hereby amended by inserting the 2following new chapter: 3 Election Integrity Qualifications Improvement Act 4 PURPOSE – It being within the competence, and purposes of The Constitution of 5Massachusetts, and the laws of The Commonwealth, to accomplish many suitable legal purposes, 6including the process, and decision making of elections, in such manner, as to provide integrity, 7transparency, and the following of appropriate qualifications, for the various, and several offices, 8that may be placed on the ballot, this legislation is established to improve such standards. 2 of 3 9 While members of political parties, are nominally members, by choice, of quasi-private 10organizations; insofar as they directly, and indirectly, participate in the process of public, and 11democratic choice, in our republican system of government, they are performing specific 12purposes of public law, and purpose. 13 Further, in the performance of their activities, some such individuals, often participate 14formally, and/or informally, in the selection of specific public officials, who are compensated as 15public employees, to conduct the honest, and efficient performance of elections. 16 SECTION 2. Therefore, it is in the public interest, for such individuals, to have improved 17qualifications, that will further improve the commitment of political, and electoral officials, and 18the confidence of voters, and the effectiveness of those operations. 19 All such persons, as are elected to be members of Massachusetts political party State 20Committees, and/or members of city ward committees, city committees, and town committees, 21shall be sworn, or affirmed, into their political party offices, by conventional legal oath, or 22affirmation, as to their solemn acceptance of following the Constitution, and Laws, faithfully; 23including respect, following, and carrying out of all electoral laws, and regulations. 24 Such individuals, shall have the Oath, or Affirmation Of Office, delivered, at their 25Organizing Meeting, after their election, having been on a public ballot; by the appropriate local 26official, be they the City Clerk, the Town Clerk, or by another designated official, clearly 27responsible to such Clerks, such as the Chair of an Election Commission, or Board of Registrars 28of Voters. 3 of 3 29 The City Chair, or Town Chair, of a political party, once sworn in, or affirmed, shall be 30authorized to provide such Oath, or Affirmation, to those individuals subsequently appointed, 31elected, or otherwise designated, to fill legal vacancies. 32 A written record, including the signature of those persons taking such Oath, or 33Affirmation, and the individual administering the oath, shall be established, in a conventional 34process, as further defined, by appropriate regulations, authorized by the Secretary of State of 35The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and shall, in fact, accompany conventional records of 36Organizing Meetings, and names of official members of such political organizations.