“SECTION 1. Section 2 of chapter 324 of the acts of 1947, as amended by section 1 of chapter 404 of the acts of 1989, is hereby further amended by inserting after the fourth sentence the following sentence:-  A write-in candidate for the office of town meeting must receive 10 or more votes in the precinct in which the candidate is eligible to vote in order to be elected in that precinct.

SECTION 2. Section 2 of said chapter 324, as so amended, is hereby further amended by adding the following 2 paragraphs:-

If a person elected as a town meeting member fails to take the oath of office within 30 days following the election of that person, or fails to attend more than 1/2 of the sessions of the town meetings held in a calendar year the office of the member shall be declared vacant. 

The member whose office is declared vacant for failing to attend more than 1/2 of the sessions of the town meeting held in a calendar year, may appeal the declaration of vacancy by requesting a hearing on removal. A request for hearing shall be in writing and shall be filed with the town clerk on or before January 15th of the following calendar year. A hearing shall be held before a committee consisting of the town clerk, town moderator and chairman of the board of registrars to be held no later than January 25th of that year. Upon the showing of good cause by the member, the committee may excuse 1 or more absences and may rescind the declaration of vacancy if the town meeting member has attended at least 1/2 of the unexcused sessions of the town meeting during said calendar year.

SECTION 3.  This act shall take effect upon its passage.”