Massachusetts General Laws
Chapter 54 - Elections
Section 159 - Sheriffs

Massachusetts General Laws

Part I - Administration of the Government

Title VIII - Elections

Chapter 54 - Elections

Section 1 - Decennial Division of Cities Into Wards and Precincts

Section 2 - Division of Cities and Wards Into Voting Precincts; Census; Effect Upon Formation of Congressional, Representative, Senatorial or Councillor Districts

Section 4 - New Divisions of Cities Into Wards, When Effective; Congressional Districts

Section 5 - Maps or Descriptions of New Divisions; Publication and Posting

Section 6 - Division of Towns Into Voting Precincts

Section 7 - Changes in Voting Precincts of Towns

Section 7a - Dividing Precincts to Facilitate Voting; Applicable Laws

Section 8 - Maps or Descriptions of New Precincts; Posting

Section 9 - Discontinuance of Voting Precincts

Section 9a - Redivision Into Precincts or Districts; Elections Thereafter; Census

Section 10 - Changes in Wards; Notice to State Secretary

Section 11 - Election Officers in Certain Cities

Section 11a - Deputies

Section 11b - Filing for Appointment in Cities; Procedure; Eligibility; Examinations

Section 12 - Election Officers in Towns; Procedure; Eligibility; Examinations

Section 13 - Party Representation; Term of Office; Removal

Section 14 - Vacancies; Filling

Section 15 - Eligibility of Candidates

Section 16 - Deputies; Duties

Section 16a - Vacancies; Appointments to Fill

Section 17 - Ballot Clerks; Duties

Section 20 - Oath of Office

Section 22 - Compensation of Election Officers

Section 23 - Supervisors of Elections; Political Party Representation; Violations

Section 24 - Designation of Polling Places

Section 25 - Marking Shelves and Guard Rails

Section 25a - Display of National Flag

Section 25b - Early Voting; Application for Early Voting Ballots; Early Voting Period, Sites and Lists; Counting of Early Voting Ballots

Section 26 - State Ballot Boxes; Furnishing

Section 27 - Blank Forms and Envelopes for Returns; Injury, Tampering, or Destruction; Penalties

Section 28 - Care, Custody and Repair of Ballot Boxes, Counting Apparatus, and Voting Machines

Section 29 - Replacement of Defective, Lost or Destroyed Ballot Boxes

Section 30 - Voting Place or Precinct Seals; Use and Custody

Section 30a - Custodians of Voting Machines; Duties; Eligibility

Section 31 - Sending Ballot Boxes, Blank Forms, and Counting Apparatus to Polls; Installation of Voting Machines; Voters' Authority Certificates

Section 32 - Examination and Approval of Voting Equipment

Section 33 - Requirements and Use of Voting Machines, Electronic Voting Systems, and Ballots

Section 33a - Additional Requirements for Voting Machines

Section 33b - Use of Voting Machines; Regulations; Mechanical Failures

Section 33c - Instructions to Voter After Entering Voting Machine Booth; Re-Entry After Voting

Section 33d - Voting for Persons Not Listed on Ballot Labels of Machine

Section 33e - Electronic Voting Systems; Marking Implements; Stickers or Pasters on Ballots; Inspection; Instructions to Voters; Write-in Candidates

Section 33f - Computers and Counting Units; Central Tabulation Centers; Preparation; Testing

Section 33g - Lease or Purchase of Marking Units or Tabulating Units; Bonds From Manufacturers or Distributors

Section 33h - Election Officers for Tabulation Center; Tabulation of Votes

Section 33i - Examination of Electronic Poll Books; Compliance With Minimum Requirements; Approval for Use in Elections

Section 34 - Use of Voting Machines by Cities and Towns

Section 35 - Public Exhibition of Voting Machines; Instruction to Voters; Delivery to Polls; Examination

Section 35a - Challenged or Absent Voting Ballots Where Voting Machines Used; Questions Submitted to Voters

Section 35b - Casting Challenged Votes Where Voting Machines Used; Counting Votes

Section 36 - Number of Election Officers Present When Voting Machines Used

Section 37 - Regulations for Use of Voting Machines, Ballot Boxes, Etc.

Section 39 - Seller's Bonds; Electronic Voting Systems, Voting Machines or Ballot Boxes

Section 40 - Preparation and Furnishing

Section 41 - Names; Residences; Political Designation; Incumbents

Section 41a - Governor and Lieutenant Governor Candidates; Grouping Party Nominees; Order

Section 42 - Arrangement of Names; Blank Spaces; Name of City or Town, Etc.

Section 42a - Questions Submitted to Voters; Designation

Section 42b - Public Policy Questions; Placement on Ballots

Section 42c - Deadline for Ballot Questions

Section 43 - Presidential Electors; Arrangement of Names

Section 43a - State Elections and Primaries; Officers to Be Elected; Manner and Order of Appearance on Ballots

Section 44 - Official Ballots

Section 45 - Number of Ballots Provided; Ballot Labels for Voting Machines

Section 46 - Packaging Ballots; Record

Section 47 - Vacancies; Printing Ballots

Section 48 - Cards of Instruction; Specimen Ballots; Copies of Information for Voters Material

Section 48a - Voters' Bill of Rights; Postings; Preparation and Revision

Section 49 - Lists of Candidates; Copies of Proposed Constitutional Amendments or Laws

Section 50 - City Elections; Posting Names of Candidates

Section 51 - Town Elections; Posting Names of Candidates

Section 52 - Lists of Candidates; Questions Submitted to Voters; Availability for Publication; State and City Elections

Section 53 - Mailing Lists of Voters; Copies of Measures, Summaries, Ballot Question Titles, Statements and Arguments to Voters; Public Examination; Petition for Amendment

Section 54 - Arguments on Measures; Preparation; Submission, Filing; Printing; Mailing

Section 58a - General Laws Submitted to Municipal Voters for Acceptance; Form of Question; Filing Date

Section 59 - Packaging and Delivery to City or Town Clerks

Section 60 - Duties of City and Town Clerks; Delivery to Polls; Receipts

Section 61 - Failure to Deliver; Substitute Ballots

Section 62 - Biennial State Elections

Section 63 - Calling City and Town Elections; Notice

Section 64 - Notices or Warrants; Requisites; Time of Opening and Closing Polls

Section 65 - Activities at Polling Places; Regulations; Penalties

Section 66 - State Ballot Boxes; Use and Custody

Section 67 - Voting Lists; Delivery and Use; Voting by Persons Not on List

Section 67a - Additional State Ballot Boxes; Use in Towns

Section 68 - Statements Made Before Public Declaration of Vote; Penalties

Section 69 - Persons Permitted Within Guard Rail

Section 70 - Number of Voters Permitted Within Guard Rail; Voters in Line at Closing Time

Section 71 - Presiding Officers; Powers and Duties

Section 71a - Supervision of Election Officers in Cities and Towns

Section 72 - Preservation of Order by Police

Section 73 - Smoking or Intoxicating Liquors in Polling Places Prohibited; Penalties

Section 74 - Detention of Offenders; Effect on Right to Vote

Section 75 - Report of Violations; Prosecutions

Section 76 - Voting; Giving Name and Address Upon Request; Delivery of Ballot

Section 76b - Failure to Present Voter Identification; Right to Challenge Vote

Section 76c - Provisional Ballot

Section 77 - Marking Ballots

Section 78 - Voting for Presidential Electors, Governor, and Lieutenant Governor; Marking Ballots

Section 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 Vote

Section 79 - Assistance in Marking Ballots

Section 80 - Prohibited Markings; Use of Red Pencils or Red Ink by Election Officers

Section 81 - Spoiled Ballots

Section 82 - Folding Ballots; Time for Marking Ballots

Section 83 - Deposit of Ballots, Voting List Check, Endorsement

Section 84 - Removal of Ballots Before Close of Polls

Section 85 - Challenge of Person's Right to Vote, Procedures

Section 85a - Challengers

Section 86 - Absent or Physically Disabled Voters

Section 87 - Preparation of Absent Voting Ballots, Envelopes, Instructions

Section 88 - Distribution of Absent Voting Ballots

Section 89 - Applications; Seasonably Filed; Spoiled Ballots; Application by Family Member

Section 91 - Applications; Filing and Certification; Notation on Voting Lists; Posting

Section 91a - Applications of Specially Qualified Voters

Section 91b - Delivery of Ballots

Section 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 Ballot

Section 92 - Method of Voting

Section 93 - Time for Mailing or Delivering Ballots

Section 94 - Examination of Ballots; Acceptance or Rejection

Section 95 - Duties of Election Officers; Deposit of Absent Voting Ballots; Receipt and Counting of Federal Write-in Absentee Ballots

Section 96 - Challenges

Section 97 - Immaterial Irregularities

Section 98 - Absent Voter Unable to Mark Ballot

Section 99 - Late Ballots; Disposition

Section 100 - Voting in Person; Death of Absent Voter

Section 102 - Printed Information and Instructions as to Absent Voting

Section 103 - Jurisdiction of Courts

Section 103a - Sections Applicable to City and Town Elections, Primaries and Caucuses, and to Regional Vocational School District Elections

Section 103p - City or Town Elections; Preliminary Elections or Primaries

Section 103q - Informality; Liberal Construction

Section 104 - Use of State Blank Forms and Apparatus; Canvass of Votes

Section 105 - Proceedings at Close of Polls; Counting Votes; Announcing and Recording Results

Section 105a - Electronic Voting Methods; Proceedings at Close of Polls; Counting of Ballots; Announcement of Vote; Transportation to Tabulation Center

Section 106 - Defective Ballots

Section 107 - Enclosing and Sealing Ballots and Voting Lists; Certification

Section 108 - Copies of Voting Lists as Checked

Section 109 - Ballots and Lists; Custody; Disposition

Section 109a - Audit of Votes Following Presidential General Election

Section 110 - Rejection of Records

Section 110a - Central Tabulation Facilities

Section 111 - Examination of Precinct Records; Errors; Certification

Section 112 - Copies of Records of Votes to State Secretary

Section 113 - Unsealed Copies Transmitted to State Secretary; Proceedings

Section 114 - Endorsement or Memorandum of Receipt

Section 115 - Copies of Records of Votes to Governor and Council; Examination; Determination of Results

Section 116 - Certification of Results; Summons; Certificates of Election

Section 116a - Election of Person Not Listed on State Ballot; Financial Interest Statement

Section 117 - Return to State Secretary; Laying Before Legislature; Filing

Section 118 - Presidential Electors; Copies of Records of Votes; Proclamations; Certificate of Election

Section 119 - Petition to Court for Declaration of Election; Notice; Hearing

Section 120 - Procedure; Compulsion and Immunity of Witness

Section 121 - Examination of Records; Certificates of Election; Notice to State Secretary

Section 122 - Board of Examiners; Duties; Certificates of Election; Notice to State Secretary

Section 123 - Incomplete Records; New Copies of Returns

Section 129 - Copies of Returns of Votes; Transmittal to State Secretary

Section 130 - Number of Ballots Cast; Statement at Length

Section 131 - Violations; Effect on Records

Section 132 - Number of Names Checked; Certification

Section 133 - Number of Registered Voters, etc.; Report

Section 134 - Contested Elections; Retention of Ballots; Recounts

Section 135 - Petition for Recount; Filing; Contents; Examination; Recounts; Notice; Amendment of Records

Section 135a - Recount Where Voting Machines Used; Period During Which Machines Locked and Sealed

Section 135b - Recount Where Electronic Voting System Used; Petition Specifying Recount by Hand

Section 136 - Information Regarding Ballots Cast by Challenged Voters

Section 137 - Election Results in Cities; Declaration Before Recounts; Certificates of Election

Section 138 - Presidential Electors

Section 140 - Senators and Representatives in Congress; Vacancies

Section 141 - Representatives in General Court; Vacancies

Section 142 - District Attorneys and County Officers

Section 143 - County Treasurers; Registers of Deeds

Section 143a - Register of Deeds; Vacancies

Section 144 - County Commissioners

Section 145 - Death After Election but Before Term

Section 146 - Notice to State Secretary

Section 147 - Elections to Fill Vacancies

Section 148 - Meetings; Organization; Record of Proceedings

Section 149 - Compensation

Section 150 - State Officers

Section 151 - Presidential Electors

Section 152 - Senators in Congress

Section 153 - Representatives in Congress

Section 154 - District Attorneys

Section 155 - Clerks of Courts

Section 156 - Registers of Probate

Section 157 - Registers of Deeds

Section 158 - County Commissioners

Section 159 - Sheriffs

Section 160 - County Treasurers

Section 162 - Regional District School Committees Members

Section 25c - Correctional Facility; Voting