ELECTIONS
M.G.L. pt. Part I, tit. Title VIII, ch. c. 54
in effectContents
sectionc. 54, § 1. Decennial division of cities into wards and precinctssectionc. 54, § 2. Division of cities and wards into voting precincts; census; effect upon formation of congressional, representative, senatorial or councillor districtssectionc. 54, § 4. New divisions of cities into wards, when effective; congressional districtssectionc. 54, § 5. Maps or descriptions of new divisions; publication and postingsectionc. 54, § 6. Division of towns into voting precinctssectionc. 54, § 7. Changes in voting precincts of townssectionc. 54, § 7A. Dividing precincts to facilitate voting; applicable lawssectionc. 54, § 8. Maps or descriptions of new precincts; postingsectionc. 54, § 9. Discontinuance of voting precinctssectionc. 54, § 9A. Redivision into precincts or districts; elections thereafter; censussectionc. 54, § 10. Changes in wards; notice to state secretarysectionc. 54, § 11. Election officers in certain citiessectionc. 54, § 11A. Deputiessectionc. 54, § 11B. Filing for appointment in cities; procedure; eligibility; examinationssectionc. 54, § 12. Election officers in towns; procedure; eligibility; examinationssectionc. 54, § 13. Party representation; term of office; removalsectionc. 54, § 14. Vacancies; appointmentsectionc. 54, § 15. Eligibility of candidatessectionc. 54, § 16. Deputies; dutiessectionc. 54, § 16A. Vacancies; appointments to fillsectionc. 54, § 17. Ballot clerks; dutiessectionc. 54, § 20. Oath of officesectionc. 54, § 22. Compensation of election officerssectionc. 54, § 23. Supervisors of elections; political party representation; violationssectionc. 54, § 24. Designation of polling placessectionc. 54, § 25. Marking shelves and guard railssectionc. 54, § 25A. Display of national flagsectionc. 54, § 25B. Early voting; application for early voting ballots; early voting period, sites and lists; counting of early voting ballotssectionc. 54, § 25C. Correctional facility; votingsectionc. 54, § 26. State ballot boxes; furnishingsectionc. 54, § 27. Blank forms and envelopes for returns; injury, tampering, or destruction; penaltiessectionc. 54, § 28. Care, custody and repair of ballot boxes, counting apparatus, and voting machinessectionc. 54, § 29. Replacement of defective, lost or destroyed ballot boxessectionc. 54, § 30. Voting place or precinct seals; use and custodysectionc. 54, § 30A. Custodians of voting machines; duties; eligibilitysectionc. 54, § 31. Sending ballot boxes, blank forms, and counting apparatus to polls; installation of voting machines; voters' authority certificatessectionc. 54, § 32. Examination and approval of voting equipmentsectionc. 54, § 33. Requirements and use of voting machines, electronic voting systems, and ballotssectionc. 54, § 33A. Additional requirements for voting machinessectionc. 54, § 33B. Use of voting machines; regulations; mechanical failuressectionc. 54, § 33C. Instructions to voter after entering voting machine booth; re-entry after votingsectionc. 54, § 33D. Voting for persons not listed on ballot labels of machinesectionc. 54, § 33E. Electronic voting systems; marking implements; stickers or pasters on ballots; inspection; instructions to voters; write-in candidatessectionc. 54, § 33F. Computers and counting units; central tabulation centers; preparation; testingsectionc. 54, § 33G. Lease or purchase of marking units or tabulating units; bonds from manufacturers or distributorssectionc. 54, § 33H. Election officers for tabulation center; tabulation of votessectionc. 54, § 33I. Examination of electronic poll books; compliance with minimum requirements; approval for use in electionssectionc. 54, § 34. Use of voting machines by cities and townssectionc. 54, § 35. Public exhibition of voting machines; instruction to voters; delivery to polls; examinationsectionc. 54, § 35A. Challenged or absent voting ballots where voting machines used; questions submitted to voterssectionc. 54, § 35B. Casting challenged votes where voting machines used; counting votessectionc. 54, § 36. Number of election officers present when voting machines usedsectionc. 54, § 37. Regulations for use of voting machines, ballot boxes, etc.sectionc. 54, § 39. Seller's bonds; electronic voting systems, voting machines or ballot boxessectionc. 54, § 40. Preparation and furnishingsectionc. 54, § 41. Names; residences; political designation; incumbentssectionc. 54, § 41A. Governor and lieutenant governor candidates; grouping party nominees; ordersectionc. 54, § 42. Arrangement of names; blank spaces; name of city or town, etc.sectionc. 54, § 42A. Questions submitted to voters; designationsectionc. 54, § 42B. Public policy questions; placement on ballotssectionc. 54, § 42C. Deadline for ballot questionssectionc. 54, § 43. Presidential electors; arrangement of namessectionc. 54, § 43A. State elections and primaries; officers to be elected; manner and order of appearance on ballotssectionc. 54, § 44. Official ballotssectionc. 54, § 45. Number of ballots provided; ballot labels for voting machinessectionc. 54, § 46. Packaging ballots; recordsectionc. 54, § 47. Vacancies; printing ballotssectionc. 54, § 48. Cards of instruction; specimen ballots; copies of information for voters materialsectionc. 54, § 48A. Voters' bill of rights; postings; preparation and revisionsectionc. 54, § 49. Lists of candidates; copies of proposed constitutional amendments or lawssectionc. 54, § 50. City elections; posting names of candidatessectionc. 54, § 51. Town elections; posting names of candidatessectionc. 54, § 52. Lists of candidates; questions submitted to voters; availability for publication; state and city electionssectionc. 54, § 53. Mailing lists of voters; copies of measures, summaries, ballot question titles, statements and arguments to voters; public examination; petition for amendmentsectionc. 54, § 54. Arguments on measures; preparation; submission, filing; printing; mailingsectionc. 54, § 58A. General Laws submitted to municipal voters for acceptance; form of question; filing datesectionc. 54, § 59. Packaging and delivery to city or town clerkssectionc. 54, § 60. Duties of city and town clerks; delivery to polls; receiptssectionc. 54, § 61. Failure to deliver; substitute ballotssectionc. 54, § 62. Biennial state electionssectionc. 54, § 63. Calling city and town elections; noticesectionc. 54, § 64. Notices or warrants; requisites; time of opening and closing pollssectionc. 54, § 65. Activities at polling places; regulations; penaltiessectionc. 54, § 66. State ballot boxes; use and custodysectionc. 54, § 67. Voting lists; delivery and use; voting by persons not on listsectionc. 54, § 67A. Additional state ballot boxes; use in townssectionc. 54, § 68. Statements made before public declaration of vote; penaltiessectionc. 54, § 69. Persons permitted within guard railsectionc. 54, § 70. Number of voters permitted within guard rail; voters in line at closing timesectionc. 54, § 71. Presiding officers; powers and dutiessectionc. 54, § 71A. Supervision of election officers in cities and townssectionc. 54, § 72. Preservation of order by policesectionc. 54, § 73. Smoking or intoxicating liquors in polling places prohibited; penaltiessectionc. 54, § 74. Detention of offenders; effect on right to votesectionc. 54, § 75. Report of violations; prosecutionssectionc. 54, § 76. Voting; giving name and address upon request; delivery of ballotsectionc. 54, § 76B. Failure to present voter identification; right to challenge votesectionc. 54, § 76C. Provisional ballotsectionc. 54, § 77. Marking ballotssectionc. 54, § 78. Voting for presidential electors, governor, and lieutenant governor; marking ballotssectionc. 54, § 78A. List of candidates for electors pledged to presidential candidates other than those on official ballot; written acceptances; filing; certification; form of write-in or sticker votesectionc. 54, § 79. Assistance in marking ballotssectionc. 54, § 80. Prohibited markings; use of red pencils or red ink by election officerssectionc. 54, § 81. Spoiled ballotssectionc. 54, § 82. Folding ballots; time for marking ballotssectionc. 54, § 83. Deposit of ballots, voting list check, endorsementsectionc. 54, § 84. Removal of ballots before close of pollssectionc. 54, § 85. Challenge of person's right to vote, proceduressectionc. 54, § 85A. Challengerssectionc. 54, § 86. Absent or physically disabled voterssectionc. 54, § 87. Preparation of absent voting ballots, envelopes, instructionssectionc. 54, § 88. Distribution of absent voting ballotssectionc. 54, § 89. Applications; seasonably filed; spoiled ballots; application by family membersectionc. 54, § 91. Applications; filing and certification; notation on voting lists; postingsectionc. 54, § 91A. Applications of specially qualified voterssectionc. 54, § 91B. Delivery of ballotssectionc. 54, § 91C. Absentee ballot for Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, or UOCAVA, voter; entering application for ballot into voter registration information system; transmission of absentee ballotsectionc. 54, § 92. Method of votingsectionc. 54, § 93. Time for mailing or delivering ballotssectionc. 54, § 94. Examination of ballots; acceptance or rejectionsectionc. 54, § 95. Duties of election officers; deposit of absent voting ballots; receipt and counting of federal write-in absentee ballotssectionc. 54, § 96. Challengessectionc. 54, § 97. Immaterial irregularitiessectionc. 54, § 98. Absent voter unable to mark ballotsectionc. 54, § 99. Late ballots; dispositionsectionc. 54, § 102. Printed information and instructions as to absent votingsectionc. 54, § 103. Jurisdiction of courtssectionc. 54, § 103A. Sections applicable to city and town elections, primaries and caucuses, and to regional vocational school district electionssectionc. 54, § 103P. City or town elections; preliminary elections or primariessectionc. 54, § 103Q. Informality; liberal constructionsectionc. 54, § 104. Use of state blank forms and apparatus; canvass of votessectionc. 54, § 105. Proceedings at close of polls; counting votes; announcing and recording resultssectionc. 54, § 105A. Electronic voting methods; proceedings at close of polls; counting of ballots; announcement of vote; transportation to tabulation centersectionc. 54, § 106. Defective ballotssectionc. 54, § 107. Enclosing and sealing ballots and voting lists; certificationsectionc. 54, § 108. Copies of voting lists as checkedsectionc. 54, § 109. Ballots and lists; custody; dispositionsectionc. 54, § 109A. Audit of votes following presidential general electionsectionc. 54, § 110. Rejection of recordssectionc. 54, § 110A. Central tabulation facilitiessectionc. 54, § 111. Examination of precinct records; errors; certificationsectionc. 54, § 112. Copies of records of votes to state secretarysectionc. 54, § 113. Unsealed copies transmitted to state secretary; proceedingssectionc. 54, § 114. Endorsement or memorandum of receiptsectionc. 54, § 115. Copies of records of votes to governor and council; examination; determination of resultssectionc. 54, § 116. Certification of results; summons; certificates of electionsectionc. 54, § 116A. Election of person not listed on state ballot; financial interest statementsectionc. 54, § 117. Return to state secretary; laying before legislature; filingsectionc. 54, § 118. Presidential electors; copies of records of votes; proclamations; certificate of electionsectionc. 54, § 119. Petition to court for declaration of election; notice; hearingsectionc. 54, § 120. Procedure; compulsion and immunity of witnesssectionc. 54, § 121. Examination of records; certificates of election; notice to state secretarysectionc. 54, § 122. Board of examiners; duties; certificates of election; notice to state secretarysectionc. 54, § 123. Incomplete records; new copies of returnssectionc. 54, § 129. Copies of returns of votes; transmittal to state secretarysectionc. 54, § 130. Number of ballots cast; statement at lengthsectionc. 54, § 131. Violations; effect on recordssectionc. 54, § 132. Number of names checked; certificationsectionc. 54, § 133. Number of registered voters, etc.; reportsectionc. 54, § 134. Contested elections; retention of ballots; recountssectionc. 54, § 135. Petition for recount; filing; contents; examination; recounts; notice; amendment of recordssectionc. 54, § 135A. Recount where voting machines used; period during which machines locked and sealedsectionc. 54, § 135B. Recount where electronic voting system used; petition specifying recount by handsectionc. 54, § 136. Information regarding ballots cast by challenged voterssectionc. 54, § 137. Election results in cities; declaration before recounts; certificates of electionsectionc. 54, § 138. Presidential electorssectionc. 54, § 140. Senators and representatives in congress; vacanciessectionc. 54, § 141. Representatives in general court; vacanciessectionc. 54, § 142. District attorneys and county officerssectionc. 54, § 143. County treasurers; registers of deedssectionc. 54, § 143A. Register of deeds; vacanciessectionc. 54, § 144. County commissionerssectionc. 54, § 145. Death after election but before termsectionc. 54, § 146. Notice to state secretarysectionc. 54, § 147. Elections to fill vacanciessectionc. 54, § 148. Meetings; organization; record of proceedingssectionc. 54, § 149. Compensationsectionc. 54, § 150. State officerssectionc. 54, § 151. Presidential electorssectionc. 54, § 152. Senators in congresssectionc. 54, § 153. Representatives in congresssectionc. 54, § 154. District attorneyssectionc. 54, § 155. Clerks of courtssectionc. 54, § 156. Registers of probatesectionc. 54, § 157. Registers of deedssectionc. 54, § 158. County commissionerssectionc. 54, § 159. Sheriffssectionc. 54, § 160. County treasurerssectionc. 54, § 162. Regional district school committees members
Source: Massachusetts General Court (malegislature.gov)URL: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVIII/Chapter54Fetched: 10/20/2026