By Ms. Fargo, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2789) of Susan C. Fargo and Cory Atkins (by vote of the town) for legislation to authorize the town of Concord to send certain information to registered voters in the town of Concord. Election Laws. {Local approval received.} |
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the board of selectmen of the town of Concord may, at least seven days before any election at which a binding or non-binding question shall be submitted solely to the voters of said town, cause to be printed and sent to each residence of one or more voters whose name appears on the latest active voting list for said town and make available at each polling place (a) the full text of such question; (b) a fair and concise summary of such question, including a one-sentence statement describing the effect of a yes or no vote, prepared by the Town Counsel; and (c) arguments for and against such question as provided in section 2.
SECTION 2. No argument shall contain more than two hundred and fifty words. Said board of selectmen shall seek written arguments from the principal proponents and opponents of each such question. Said board of selectmen shall designate a date by which written arguments must be received, in a written notice to the principal proponents and opponents. Said notice must be issued at least fourteen days before the date by which the written arguments must be received.
SECTION 3. For the purposes of this act, the principal proponents and opponents of any such question shall be those persons determined by said board of selectmen to be best able to present the arguments for and against such question. The principal proponents or opponents of such a question may include a town or district officer or committee, such as a finance committee or school committee, and the principal proponents may include the first ten signers or a majority of the first ten signers of any petition initiating the placement of such question on the ballot. In determining the principal proponents and opponents of such a question, said board of selectmen shall contact each ballot question committee, if any, as defined in section 1 of chapter fifty-five of the General Laws, organized specifically to influence the outcome of the vote on such question. If no argument is received by said board of selectmen within the time allowed by this act, the Town Counsel shall prepare such argument.
SECTION 4. All arguments filed with said board of selectmen pursuant to this act, and the summary prepared pursuant to section 1 shall be open to public inspection at the office of the town clerk, and if the vote affects a district, the arguments and summary shall be open to public inspection at the office of the clerk of each city or town within the jurisdiction of the district.
SECTION 5. This act shall apply where the question presented involves the regional district of which the Town of Concord is a member or involves a joint undertaking by said Town of Concord and any one or more cities or towns.
SECTION 6. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
