The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts
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|
DEVAL L. PATRICK
GOVERNOR
TIMOTHY P. MURRAY
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
|
Executive Department
State House · Boston 02133
(617)
725-4000
|
June 25,
2008.
To the Honorable Senate and
House of Representatives:
Pursuant to the provisions of Article II,
Section 8, Paragraph 1, Clause (2) of the Amendments to the Constitution, as
amended by Article LXXXIX, I am filing for your consideration the attached
legislation entitled, “An Act Authorizing The State Secretary To Place The
Office Of Selectman On The State Election Ballot In The Town Of Topsfield.”
Senator Berry, Representative Speliotis
and the Topsfield Board of Selectmen have asked that this legislation be filed
to allow the town to fill a recent vacancy in the office of Selectmen at the
November 4, 2008 election. To fill the vacancy swiftly, the town would have to
hold a special election, at an estimated cost of $5,000.00. This legislation
will allow the town to avoid that fiscal strain and to avoid scheduling a
special election in the summer, when voter turnout is generally low. Placing
the vacancy on the state election ballot resolves these problems in a
cost-effective and efficient manner.
I urge your early and favorable
consideration of this bill.
Respectfully
submitted,
DEVAL
L. PATRICK,
Governor.
The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts
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In the Year Two Thousand and Eight.
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An
Act authorizing
the state secretary to place the office of selectman on the state election
ballot in the town of Topsfield.
Be
it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled,
and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. The state secretary shall print on the official state election ballot
for the town of Topsfield the office of selectmen to fill a vacancy.
SECTION 2. Notwithstanding section 7 of
chapter 53 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the
contrary, nomination papers for the office of selectmen to fill the vacancy
shall be filled with the board of registrars of the town of Topsfield for
certification of signatures on or before 5:00 P.M. on August 27, 2008.
SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any general or
special law to the contrary, said board of registrars shall complete
certification of signatures on such nomination on or before 5:00 P.M. on August
28, 2008.
SECTION 4. Notwithstanding section 10 of
chapter 53 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the
contrary, certified nomination papers shall be filed with the town clerk on or
before 5:00 P.M. on August 29, 2008.
SECTION 5. Notwithstanding section 11 of
chapter 52 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the
contrary, candidates who have filed nomination papers to fill the vacancy in
the office of board of selectmen may withdraw their nomination by filing a
notarized withdrawal no later than 5:00 P.M. on September 2, 2008.
SECTION 6. The town clerk shall on or
before 5:00 P.M. on September 5, 2008 certify to the state secretary a list of
candidates, with addresses, in the order in which they are to appear on the
ballot, to fill the vacancy in the board of selectmen.
SECTION 7. This act shall take effect upon
its passage.
