reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 54 § 88 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VIII - Elections|Chapter 54 - Elections|Section 88 - Distribution of Absent Voting Ballots

Section 88. The state secretary shall retain for his own use so many of the papers provided for in the preceding section as he may deem sufficient, and shall supply each city and town clerk in the commonwealth with as many of them as he may deem necessary.
MA Gen L ch 54 § 89 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VIII - Elections|Chapter 54 - Elections|Section 89 - Applications; Seasonably Filed; Spoiled Ballots; Application by Family Member

[Section impacted by 2020, 45, Secs. 1 and 1A, as amended by 2020, 92, Secs. 1 to 3, effective March 23, 2020 and 2020, 92 Secs. 15 to 17 effective June 5, 2020 and 2020, 115, Sec. 16 effective July 6, 2020 relating to elections in order to address disruptions caused by the outbreak of COVID-19.]  Section 89. Any form of written communication evidencing a desire to have an absent voting ballot be sent for use for voting at an election shall be given the same effect as an application made in the form prescribed by the state secretary. No application for an absent voting ballot to be sent by mail shall be deemed to be seasonably filed unless it is received in the office of the city or town clerk or registrars of voters on or before the fourth business day preceding the election for which the ballot is being requested. No application for an absent voting ballot to be voted in person shall be deemed to be seasonably filed unless it is received in the office of the city or town clerk or registrars of voters on or before noon on the day preceding the election for which such absent voting ballot is requested; provided, however, that if the day preceding such election is a Sunday or legal holiday, then it shall be received by such clerk or registrars before 5 P.M. on the last previous day on which such office is open. An application by a voter admitted to a health care facility after noon of the seventh day before the relevant election, as provided in subsection (c) of section 91B, may be received up until the time the polls close.  The provisions of section eighty-one relative to spoiled ballots shall apply to absent voting ballots; provided, however, that no request for a substitute ballot from a voter who has received his ballot by mail shall be valid unless it is accompanied by the spoiled ballot and received in the office of the city or town clerk or the registrars of voters before noon on the day preceding the election for which such substitute absent voting ballot is requested.  No ballot shall be mailed or delivered, as provided in section ninety-one B, until an application has first been filed and certified by the registrars and returned to the clerk, as provided in section ninety-one. Said application may request an absent voting ballot for each regular or special primary and regular or special election which occurs within the calendar year in which the application is received by the city or town clerk or registrars.  A family member of a person qualified to vote by absent voting ballot may apply in the same manner on behalf of such person. Such applicant shall state his relationship to the absent voter, shall sign the application under the pains and penalties of perjury, and shall transmit the application to the clerk of the city or town of the absent voter's residence.
MA Gen L ch 54 § 91 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VIII - Elections|Chapter 54 - Elections|Section 91 - Applications; Filing and Certification; Notation on Voting Lists; Posting

Section 91. When an application for an official absent voting ballot is received by the clerk of a city or town, it shall be transmitted by him to the registrars, who shall examine it and, if they believe the signature thereon to be genuine and the person executing the signature to be a duly registered voter or a family member of a duly registered voter, shall execute the certificate thereon and return the application to said clerk. Notwithstanding the provisions of the first sentence, if an application for an official absent voting ballot is received by the registrar, assistant registrar, or clerk of a city or town, from the voter who will be absent from said city or town on the date of the election and who requests to make application for an absent voting ballot and to vote in the presence of the registrar, assistant registrar, or clerk during the same visit, said registrar, assistant registrar, or clerk shall examine said application, and if he believes the signature thereon to be genuine and the person executing the signature to be a duly registered voter, shall execute the certification thereon and remain present while the voter marks the ballot as set forth in paragraph two of section ninety-two. The clerk shall cause to be placed on the voting lists prepared as required by section sixty of chapter fifty-one, opposite the name of each voter on whose application such certificate has been so executed, the letters in capitals A. V. If the registrars find the person signing the application not to be a duly registered voter, they shall send him written notice to that effect and shall preserve the application during the time fixed by law for the preservation of ballots cast in the coming election, after which time said application shall be destroyed. The clerk shall prepare lists, arranged by voting precincts, of the names and addresses of all voters on whose applications for absent voting ballots the certificate has been executed as provided in this section, and shall post copies of such lists for public inspection. An applicant for an absent voting ballot who has been furnished a certificate of supplementary registration, as authorized by section fifty-one of chapter fifty-one, shall submit such certificate with his application, and the clerk shall cause to be placed on such certificate opposite the name of the applicant the letters in capitals A. V. Every such certificate shall be securely affixed to the voting lists required by section sixty of chapter fifty-one to be transmitted to the polling place for the precinct where such applicant claims the right to vote and shall be considered a part thereof.  Sections fifty-nine and fifty-nine A of chapter fifty-one shall apply to applications for absent voting ballots, but the certificate mentioned in section fifty-nine shall be issued by the city or town clerk.
MA Gen L ch 54 § 91a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VIII - Elections|Chapter 54 - Elections|Section 91a - Applications of Specially Qualified Voters

Section 91A. A specially qualified voter, as defined in section one of chapter fifty, who qualifies for an absent voting ballot pursuant to section eighty-six, or a family member of such specially qualified voter, may apply for an absent voting ballot in the manner prescribed in section eighty-nine. The registrars may cause an investigation of such resident's qualifications to be made by a police officer who shall forthwith, after such investigation, report to them his findings with respect thereto, and for such purpose, the board or officer in charge of the police force of the city or town shall give the registrars such assistance as they may require.  If the registrars certify that such resident has the qualifications for voting, the clerk shall deliver an official absent voting ballot to such resident in the manner prescribed in section ninety-one B. If not so certified, such registrars shall give written notice thereof to the applicant and give him an opportunity to be heard. Such registrars shall, seasonably, before every election prepare a list of the names and addresses of specially qualified voters so certified and shall promptly post such lists in their principal office and transmit a copy thereof for each precinct, to the election officers of each such precinct.  Applications under this section shall be subject to challenge under sections forty-seven A to forty-nine, inclusive, of chapter fifty-one, and shall be subject to the penalties for offenses concerning the listing or registration of voters as provided by sections one, two, three, five, six, seven, eight and nine of chapter fifty-six.
MA Gen L ch 54 § 91b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VIII - Elections|Chapter 54 - Elections|Section 91b - Delivery of Ballots

[ Section impacted by 2020, 45, Secs. 1 and 1A, as amended by 2020, 92, Secs. 1 to 3 effective March 23, 2020, 2020, 92 Secs. 15 to 17 effective June 5, 2020, 2020, 115, Sec. 17, effective July 6, 2020 and 2021, 5, Secs. 1 to 3 effective March 16, 2021; and 2020, 255, effective December 31, 2020 as amended by 2021, 5, Secs. 4 to 8, effective March 16, 2021 and 2021, 29, Secs. 51 to 55, effective July 29, 2021, relating to elections in order to address disruptions caused by the outbreak of COVID-19.]  Section 91B. The official absent voting ballot and accompanying papers described in section eighty-seven shall be delivered as hereinafter provided.  (a) Except as required by subsections (b) and (c), the ballot and accompanying papers shall be mailed postage prepaid or, if the voter so requests, delivered when called for at the office of the clerk. No ballot shall be mailed to a designated health care facility within the city or town where the voter is registered.  (b) To a voter who is a patient or resident at a designated health care facility, the ballot and accompanying papers shall be delivered, in person, by a registrar, assistant registrar or absent registration officer, at the designated address. For the purposes of this section, a "designated health care facility'' shall mean a health care facility as defined in section twenty-five B of chapter one hundred and eleven, within the city or town, which has been designated for the purpose of supervised absentee voting, in writing, and filed with the city or town clerk, not later than twenty-eight days before a primary or election, by any two registrars or election commissioners.  (c) To a voter who states, under penalty of perjury, that he has been admitted to a health care facility, as defined in section twenty-five B of chapter one hundred and eleven on or after the seventh day before the relevant election, the ballot and accompanying papers shall, unless the clerk determines that there is insufficient time, be delivered in the same manner as provided in subsection (b); provided, however, that if permitted in the sole discretion of the city or town clerk, a person designated in writing by the voter and who is not a candidate for an office at the election, may instead perform the functions of an election official. If the health care facility is outside the city or town and no such family member is available for such purpose, the ballot need not be delivered in person, but may be mailed.
MA Gen L ch 54 § 91c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VIII - Elections|Chapter 54 - Elections|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 91C. (a) Upon receipt of a properly executed application for an absentee ballot from a Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, or UOCAVA, voter, a city or town clerk shall retain the application and, without delay, enter the application in the voter registration information system.  (b) Within 24 hours of receiving the absentee ballots or ballot file from the state secretary's office, the city or town clerk shall transmit such ballot to all UOCAVA voters for whom an application was received in accordance with subsection (a) and shall enter the date of transmission into the voter registration information system.  (c) If a request for an absentee ballot is received from a UOCAVA voter 45 or more days before a federal election, the city or town clerk shall send the ballot and instructions to the applicant not later than 45 days prior to the federal election using either mail or electronic transmission, as requested by the voter.  (d) If a request for an absentee ballot is received from a UOCAVA voter less than 45 days before a federal election, the city or town clerk shall send the ballot and instructions without delay using either mail or electronic transmission, as requested by the voter.  (e) If a request for an absentee ballot is received from a UOCAVA voter 45 or more days before a federal election and the state secretary has determined that the city or town clerk is unwilling or unable to transmit the ballot at least 45 days before the election, the state secretary may, on behalf of the city or town clerk, after notice to the city or town clerk and in accordance with the voter's choice, electronically transmit or mail the appropriate absentee ballot and instructions to the voter not later than the day 45 days prior to the federal election.  The state secretary shall enter in the voter registration information system the transmission date on which absentee voters were sent ballots by the state secretary pursuant to this subsection.  (f) The state secretary may promulgate regulations to carry out this section.
MA Gen L ch 54 § 92 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VIII - Elections|Chapter 54 - Elections|Section 92 - Method of Voting

[Section impacted by 2020, 45, Secs. 1 and 1A, as amended by 2020, 92, Secs. 1 to 3, effective March 23, 2020 and 2020, 92 Secs. 15 to 17 effective June 5, 2020 relating to postponing municipal elections in order to address disruptions caused by the outbreak of COVID-19.]  Section 92. A voter who has received an official absent voting ballot shall mark it in the presence of no other person, except as provided in section ninety-eight. The voter shall then enclose and seal the ballot in the envelope provided pursuant to clause (c) of the first paragraph of section eighty-seven, and execute the affidavit on such envelope. The voter shall return the ballot, sealed in such envelope, as hereinafter provided.  (a) A voter who receives the ballot by mail, as provided in subsection (a) of section ninety-one B, may return it by mail to the city or town clerk in the envelope provided pursuant to subsection (d) of section 87; via a secured municipal drop box, where provided; or such voter or a family member may deliver it in person to the office of the city or town clerk. A voter to whom a ballot was delivered in person at the office of the clerk as provided in said subsection (a) of said section ninety-one B shall return it without removing the ballot from such office.  (b) A voter to whom an election official delivered the ballot in person at a designated health care facility, as provided in subsection (b) of section ninety-one B, shall return it to such election official, who shall return it in his custody to the office of the city or town clerk.  (c) A voter to whom a ballot was delivered in person as provided in subsection (c) of section ninety-one B shall return it to the person who delivered it, and such person shall immediately return it in his custody to the office of the city or town clerk.
MA Gen L ch 54 § 93 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VIII - Elections|Chapter 54 - Elections|Section 93 - Time for Mailing or Delivering Ballots

Section 93. All absent voting ballots voted as provided in section ninety-two shall be received by the city or town clerk before the hour fixed for closing the polls.
MA Gen L ch 54 § 96 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VIII - Elections|Chapter 54 - Elections|Section 96 - Challenges

Section 96. All ballots transmitted under any provision of sections eighty-six to one hundred and three, inclusive, shall be subject to challenge when and as cast for non-compliance with any provision of sections eighty-six to one hundred and three, inclusive, or for any other reason allowed by law, including that the voter was not unable by reason of physical disability to cast his vote in person at the polling place on the day of the election, and if challenged shall be disposed of in accordance with section eighty-five, except that so much of said section as involves the administering of an oath shall not apply thereto, and the writing of the name and address of the voter on the ballot shall be performed by the officer charged with depositing the ballot in the ballot box.
MA Gen L ch 54 § 97 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VIII - Elections|Chapter 54 - Elections|Section 97 - Immaterial Irregularities

Section 97. No ballot transmitted under any provision of sections eighty-six to one hundred and three, inclusive, shall be rejected for any immaterial addition, omission or irregularity in the preparation or execution of any writing or affidavit required by said sections.
MA Gen L ch 54 § 98 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VIII - Elections|Chapter 54 - Elections|Section 98 - Absent Voter Unable to Mark Ballot

Section 98. An absent voter who because of blindness or other physical disability or inability to read or read in the English language is unable to prepare his ballot may at his discretion be assisted in marking it by any person whom he may designate. Such designated person shall add in writing a statement that the voter is unable to write, the reason therefor, and shall sign the voter's name on the inner envelope.
MA Gen L ch 54 § 99 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VIII - Elections|Chapter 54 - Elections|Section 99 - Late Ballots; Disposition

Section 99. All envelopes received by clerks of cities and towns after the hour fixed for closing of the polls on the day of election shall be retained by them unopened until the time set by law for the destruction of ballots cast, at which time the envelopes shall likewise be destroyed, unopened and unexamined; provided, however, that such envelopes received within ten days following a state or city final election and mailed on or before the day of election, from a location outside the United States, shall be processed in accordance with the second paragraph of section ninety-five. A postmark, if legible, shall be evidence of the time of mailing.
MA Gen L ch 54 § 100 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VIII - Elections|Chapter 54 - Elections|Section 100 - Voting in Person; Death of Absent Voter

[Section impacted by 2020, 45, Secs. 1 and 1A, as amended by 2020, 92, Secs. 1 to 3, effective March 23, 2020 and 2020, 92 Secs. 15 to 17 effective June 5, 2020 and 2020, 115, Secs. 6 and 7, effective July 6, 2020 relating to elections in order to address disruptions caused by the outbreak of COVID-19.]  Section 100. Except as hereinafter provided, no person to whom an absent voting ballot has been mailed or delivered, as provided in section ninety–two, and opposite whose name on the voting lists the letters A. V. have been placed as provided in section ninety-one, or on whose certificate of supplementary registration the letters A. V. have been placed, as provided in said section ninety–one, shall be permitted to vote in person. No ballot mailed or delivered under the provisions of sections eighty–six to one hundred and three, inclusive, shall be counted if the officers charged with the duty of counting the same are cognizant of the fact that the voter has died prior to the opening of the polls on the day of the election. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the city or town clerk shall, on the day of the election, at his request, give to any person whose name has not been checked as provided in section ninety–four, a certificate of his name and residence, as stated in the annual register, signed by such clerk, and such clerk shall then forthwith place on the list of absent voters, opposite the name of the person to whom such certificate is furnished, the capital letter C. On presentation of such certificate to the presiding election officer of the ward, voting precinct or town in which such voter is registered he shall, after his name has been checked on the voting list or on his certificate of supplementary registration, as the case may be, be allowed to vote. Such presiding officer shall preserve each certificate issued under this section and return it to the city or town clerk in the manner in which the voting lists are required by section one hundred and seven to be enclosed. The city or town clerk shall by telephone authorize the presiding officer to issue such certificate if said clerk determines that a voter at the polling place is entitled to it, and said presiding officer shall then similarly sign and issue such certificate. If, after a certificate is furnished under this section, an envelope purporting to contain an absent voting ballot is received from a voter to whom such a certificate has been issued, and opposite whose name on the list of absent voters the capital letter C has been placed as herein required, said clerk shall mark across the face of such envelope ''Rejected as Voted in Person'', and such envelope shall be preserved and destroyed in the manner provided by law for the retention, preservation and destruction of official ballots.
MA Gen L ch 54 § 102 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VIII - Elections|Chapter 54 - Elections|Section 102 - Printed Information and Instructions as to Absent Voting

Section 102. The state secretary shall prepare for the use of election officers, city and town clerks and registrars of voters such printed information and instructions as he may deem proper to facilitate the operation of sections eighty-six to one hundred and three, inclusive. Such printed matter shall be transmitted to said officials prior to each state election. The state secretary may prepare and distribute such general information relative to said sections as he may deem expedient.
MA Gen L ch 54 § 103 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VIII - Elections|Chapter 54 - Elections|Section 103 - Jurisdiction of Courts

Section 103. The supreme judicial and superior courts shall have jurisdiction in equity to require the certification of any application for an absent voting ballot which the registrars have unreasonably refused to certify, to order the counting of any ballot improperly rejected, or to enjoin the counting of any ballot which cannot reasonably be identified as the ballot of a person lawfully entitled to vote as provided in sections eighty-six to one hundred and two, inclusive, or which was not cast in accordance therewith; provided, that no proceeding hereunder shall be begun later than the date fixed by law for the final canvass of votes cast for candidates for state offices.