SENATE, No. 1669

SECTION 1. Section 19 of Chapter 34B of the General laws is hereby amended by striking paragraph (6) (h) and inserting in place thereof the following:

(h) The regional retirement board advisory council, which shall serve as the election board, shall supervise the election of the elected members of the retirement board.  The council shall make available nominations papers to any member in or retired from service so requesting and shall require that such nomination papers be signed by the candidate and be returned to the office of the retirement board for safekeeping until the election board shall meet.  The chairman of the council shall give a duplicate receipt for such nomination papers to each candidate.  Completed nomination papers shall contain the signatures and addresses of at least twenty-five active or retired members of said retirement system.  The election board shall determine whether each candidate has filed nomination papers containing the requisite signatures and addresses.  If, after investigation, the election board determines that a candidate has filed nomination papers containing less than twenty-five signatures as required, the election board shall declare said nomination papers invalid and shall notify the candidate of such determination.  If, after investigation, the election board determines that only one candidate has filed the requisite number of signatures, the election board shall declare said candidate to be the elected member of the county retirement board.  If, after investigation, the election board determines that more than one candidate has obtained the requisite number of valid signatures, the election board shall notify said candidates of such determination and shall immediately prepare election ballots, and set for an election to be held within 40 days.