reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 11 - Wilful Alteration, Mutilation, or Destruction of Nomination Papers, etc.; Subscribing to False Statements

Section 11. Whoever falsely makes or wilfully alters, defaces, mutilates, destroys or suppresses a certificate of nomination or nomination paper, or letter of withdrawal of a name from such paper, or an initiative petition or a petition for the submission of a question to the voters, or unlawfully signs any such certificate, paper, letter or petition, or files any such certificate, paper, letter or petition, knowing the same to be falsely made or altered, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 11a - False or Willful Alteration of District Designation on Nomination Papers

Section 11A. Whoever falsely or willfully alters the designation of the district on a nomination paper after the names of voters signed thereto have been certified shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 12 - Misconduct of Officers; Failure to Perform Duties

Section 12. An officer of a primary, caucus or convention who knowingly makes any false count of ballots or votes, or makes a false statement or declaration of the result of a ballot or vote, or knowingly refuses to receive any ballot offered by a person qualified to vote at such primary, caucus or convention, or wilfully alters, defaces or destroys any ballot cast, or voting list used thereat, before the requirements of law have been complied with, or refuses or wilfully fails to receive any written request made as thereby required, or refuses or wilfully fails to perform any duty or obligation imposed thereby shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 13 - Challenged Ballots; Failure to Make Proper Entry

Section 13. A presiding officer at a caucus, primary or state or city election, or at an election in a town or district at which official ballots are used, who, when the right of a person offering to vote is challenged for any legal cause, wilfully or negligently fails to require the name and residence of such person to be written upon the ballot offered by him, and to add thereto the name of the person challenging and the assigned cause, before such ballot is received, shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 14 - Protected Information; Penalties

Section 14. A primary, election or other officer whose duty it is to recount the ballots cast at a primary or election, who makes any statement or gives any information in regard to a ballot cast by a voter challenged at such primary or election, except as required by law, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months. A primary or election officer who makes any statement or gives any information in regard to a Confidential Registration certificate, as defined in section fifty-one A of chapter fifty-one, except as required by law, shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 15 - Reading or Showing Names Selected on Ballots During Election

Section 15. A presiding officer who, at a town election at which official ballots are not used, before the polls are closed and without the consent of a voter, reads or examines or permits to be read or examined, the names written or printed on the ballot of such voter, in order to ascertain the persons voted for by him, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 16 - Improper Disposition of Ballots and Lists

Section 16. A primary or election officer, or a director of the count or assistant appointed under section six of chapter fifty-four A, who wilfully violates any provision relating to the enclosing in envelopes or containers, sealing, endorsing and delivering or transmitting of ballots and voting lists, before or after the votes have been counted and recorded, shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 17 - Unlawful Examination of Ballots After Election

Section 17. A city or town clerk or an election commissioner who examines or permits to be examined, except as required by law, ballots cast at an election, which are received and retained by him under section one hundred and nine of chapter fifty-four, shall be punished by a fine of not more than two hundred dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 18 - Failure to Make and Transmit Election Records

Section 18. A city or town clerk or an election commissioner who fails to make a record of votes cast at an election and to make and transmit copies of any such record, as required by chapter fifty-four, shall be punished by a fine of not more than two hundred dollars; but if a copy of the records is deposited in the post office within the time fixed for transmission or delivery, postpaid and properly addressed, it shall be a bar to any complaint for delinquency.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 19 - False Certificates of Election Results

Section 19. A city or town clerk, precinct clerk, election commissioner, mayor, alderman, selectman or other officer, who wilfully signs or issues a certificate not in accordance with the result of an election as appearing by the records and copies of records of votes cast, or by a recount of votes, shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 22 - Public Officers, Election Officers, etc.; Failure to Perform Duties

Section 22. A public officer, primary, caucus or election officer, director of the count or assistant appointed under section six of chapter fifty-four A, or officer or member of a political committee or convention, upon whom a duty is imposed by law, who refuses or wilfully fails to perform such duty, or who wilfully performs it contrary to law, shall be punished by a fine of not less than five nor more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 23 - Notices or Warrants; Defacement or Removal

Section 23. Whoever wilfully defaces or removes a notice or warrant for a primary, caucus or election posted according to law, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 24 - Lists of Candidates; Instructions for Voters; Supplies; Defacement or Destruction

Section 24. Whoever, before a primary or election, wilfully defaces or destroys any list of candidates posted according to law, or, during a primary, caucus or election, wilfully defaces, tears down, removes or destroys any card of instruction or specimen ballot posted for the instruction of voters, or during a primary, caucus or election, wilfully removes or destroys any of the supplies or conveniences furnished to enable a voter to prepare his ballot, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 25 - Distinguishing Marks; False Statements or Oaths

Section 25. Whoever, at a primary, caucus or election, places any distinguishing mark upon his ballot, or makes a false statement as to his ability to mark his ballot, or allows the marking of his ballot to be seen by any person for any purpose not authorized by law, or gives a false answer to or makes a false oath before a presiding officer, shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than six months or by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 26 - Illegal Voting or Attempt to Vote

Section 26. Whoever, knowing that he is not a qualified voter in any place, wilfully votes or attempts to vote therein; whoever votes or attempts to vote more than once on his own name, his name having been registered more than once; whoever votes or attempts to vote in more than one voting precinct or town, his name having been registered in more than one voting precinct or town; whoever votes or attempts to vote in any name other than his own, or knowingly casts or attempts to cast more than one ballot at one time of balloting; or whoever votes or attempts to vote otherwise illegally, shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than five years, or both.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 27 - Absent Voting Laws; Violations

Section 27. Whoever, not being entitled to vote under the laws relative to absent voting, votes or attempts to vote thereunder or whoever being entitled to vote under said laws knowingly votes or attempts to vote in violation thereof shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars and by imprisonment for not more than five years.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 27a - Unlawful Distribution of Absent Voter Ballots

Section 27A. Whoever, at any election at which absent voting is permitted, knowingly and wilfully delivers an absent voter ballot to a voter or other person in any other manner than as provided for in section ninety-one A and ninety-one B of chapter fifty-four shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 28 - Illegal Voting; Aiding or Abetting

Section 28. Whoever, at a primary, caucus or election, aids or abets a person who is not entitled to vote, in voting or attempting to vote, or in voting or attempting to vote under a name other than his own, or in casting or attempting to cast more than one ballot, shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than five years, or both.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 29 - Unlawful Interference With Voter

Section 29. Whoever wilfully and without lawful authority hinders, delays or interferes with, or aids in hindering, delaying or interfering with, a voter while on his way to a primary, caucus or election, while within the guard rail, while marking his ballot or while voting or attempting to vote, or endeavors to induce a voter, before depositing his ballot, to disclose how he marks or has marked it, shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 32 - Bribery of Voter

Section 32. No person shall, directly or indirectly, pay, give or promise to a voter, any gift or reward to influence his vote or to induce him to withhold his vote.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 33 - Employers; Influencing Votes of Employees; Penalties

Section 33. No person shall, by threatening to discharge a person from his employment, or threatening to reduce his wages, or otherwise threatening to adversely affect the terms and conditions of his employment, or promising to give him employment at higher wages, or otherwise promising to favorably affect the terms and conditions of his employment, attempt to influence a voter to give or to withhold his vote or political contribution. No person shall, because of the giving or withholding of a vote or a political contribution, discharge a person from his employment, reduce his wages or otherwise adversely affect the terms and conditions of his employment or give him employment at higher wages or otherwise favorably affect the terms and conditions of his employment.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or imprisonment for not more than six months or both.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 34 - Promising Public Appointments

Section 34. No person shall, to aid or promote his nomination or election to a public office, directly or indirectly promise to appoint or to secure or assist in securing the appointment, nomination or election of another person to a public position or employment or to a position of honor, trust or emolument, except that he may announce or define what is his choice or purpose in relation to an election in which he may be called to take part, if elected.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 35 - Promising Public Appointments for Political Action

Section 35. No person holding a public office or in nomination for, or seeking a nomination for, or appointment to, an office, shall corruptly use or promise to use, directly or indirectly, any official authority or influence to confer upon any person, or to aid a person to obtain, an office or public employment, or a nomination, confirmation, promotion or increase of salary, upon the consideration or condition that the vote, political influence or action of any person shall be given or used in behalf of a candidate, officer or party, or upon any other corrupt condition or consideration.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 36 - Public Officers and Employees; Influencing Political Action

Section 36. No person in the service of the commonwealth or of any county, city or town shall use his official authority or influence to coerce the political action of any person or body, or to interfere with any election.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 37 - Public Officers and Employees; Initiative and Referendum; Promotion or Opposition for Hire

Section 37. No member of the general court or paid officer or employee of the commonwealth shall promote or oppose, for a valuable consideration other than reimbursement for expenses actually incurred, the acceptance by the voters of any political subdivision of the commonwealth of any law conditioned to take effect therein upon such acceptance, or of any law or proposed law or constitutional amendment submitted under Article XLVIII of the amendments to the constitution, or an expression of opinion by the voters on any question of public policy.
Any person taking or giving employment in violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 38 - Editorial Support; Payment for or Receipt of Payment

Section 38. No person shall pay the owner, editor, publisher, or agent of a newspaper or other periodical to induce him editorially to advocate or oppose any candidate for public office or political principle, or any question submitted to the voters; and no such owner, editor, publisher, or agent shall accept such payment. This section shall not apply to the outright purchase of such newspaper or periodical.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 39 - Publishing Political Advertisements; Statement; Names; Signatures

Section 39. No person shall publish or cause to be published in a newspaper or other periodical any paid advertisement designed or tending to aid, injure, or defeat any candidate for public office or any question submitted to the voters, unless the name of the chairman or secretary or the names of two officers of the political or other organization inserting the same, or the name of one or more persons eighteen years of age or older who are responsible therefor, with the residence and the street and number thereof, of each such person eighteen years of age or older appears therein in the nature of a signature; provided, that each such person eighteen years of age or older has signed his name in the presence of a witness to the following statement authorizing the insertion of such advertisement. The statement shall be retained by the newspaper or periodical for not less than one year, shall be available to any person upon request, and shall be in substantially the following form:
I hereby authorize the affixing of my name to the attached political advertisement on behalf of or in opposition to , candidate for in the election to be held in the current year, or on behalf of or in opposition to a question being submitted to the voters in the election in the current year.
Witness:
Signature:
Address:
Address:
Date:
Such matter inserted in reading columns shall be preceded or followed by the word ''Advertisement'' in a separate line, in type not smaller than that of the body type of the newspaper or other periodical. This section shall not authorize expenditures otherwise prohibited by this chapter.
Any corporation violating any provision of this section or section thirty-eight, relative to payments to newspapers and periodicals, and to political advertising, shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars, and any officer, director or agent of a corporation violating any such provision, who authorized such violation, or any person who violates, or in any way knowingly aids or abets the violation of, any such provision, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than one year.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 40 - Using Names of Political Parties; Restrictions

Section 40. No organization consisting of two or more persons, other than a political committee duly elected in accordance with law or a corporation organized prior to January first, nineteen hundred and twenty-three, under the laws of this commonwealth and having as a part of its name the name of a political party, as defined by law, shall, in order to promote the success or defeat of a political party or principle or of a candidate in a public election, in any circular, advertisement or publication use in its organization name the name of such a political party, except with the written consent of the duly elected state committee representing such political party.
Any member of an organization subject to this section who participates in a violation of any provision of said section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than six months or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or both.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 41a - Unauthorized Use of Endorsements

Section 41A. No person shall, in order to promote his success or the success of another as a candidate for nomination or election to any public office, or in connection with any question submitted to the voters, include or cause to be included in any political advertisement, circular, poster or publication, the name of any person as an endorser or supporter except with the express consent of such person. Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than six months or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 42 - False Statements Relating to Candidates or Questions Submitted to Voters

Section 42. No person shall make or publish, or cause to be made or published, any false statement in relation to any candidate for nomination or election to public office, which is designed or tends to aid or to injure or defeat such candidate.
No person shall publish or cause to be published in any letter, circular, advertisement, poster or in any other writing any false statement in relation to any question submitted to the voters, which statement is designed to affect the vote on said question.
Whoever knowingly violates any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 43 - Interference With Distribution of Printed Matter

Section 43. No person shall prevent, hinder or interfere with the lawful distribution of any circular, poster, card, handbill, placard, picture or other printed matter intended to influence the action of a voter, and no person shall, wilfully and with intent to injure the person in whose behalf such printed matter was distributed, remove such matter from any residential premises to which it was delivered.
Violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 43a - Use of Word ''veteran'' by Candidates

Section 43A. No person, except a veteran, as defined by section one of chapter thirty-one, who is a candidate for nomination or election to any public office shall use the word ''veteran'' as applied to himself, in any circular, poster, card, handbill, placard, picture or other printed matter unless the word ''veteran'' is accompanied by other words indicating the country for which he served. Any violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 44 - Lists of Candidates Without Party Designations; Distribution

Section 44. No individual, except as otherwise provided by law, and no non-elected political committee, shall distribute by mail, or otherwise or directly or indirectly cause to be distributed by mail or otherwise, a list or slate containing names of candidates for state office of more than one political party to be nominated at state primaries or to be elected at a biennial state election, unless against the name of each candidate on such list or slate appears his political party designation.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than six months or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 44a - Lists of Candidates; Distribution; Signatures of Responsible Voters

Section 44A. No person shall distribute by mail or otherwise, or directly or indirectly cause to be distributed by mail or otherwise, a list or slate containing names of candidates for state office to be nominated at state primaries or to be elected at a biennial state election, unless the name of some voter who is responsible therefor, with his residence and the street and number thereof, if any, appears therein in the nature of a signature. Violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 45 - Naturalization Fees; Payment or Promise of Payment

Section 45. No political committee and no person required to file a statement shall make any payment or promise of payment of money to or in behalf of any person for naturalization fees or for services as counsel or otherwise in assisting any one to obtain naturalization.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than six months or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 46 - Disorderly Conduct at Polling Places

Section 46. Whoever, at a primary, caucus or election, behaves in a disorderly manner, and, after notice from the presiding officer or director of the count, persists in such behavior and refuses to withdraw from the polling place, or from the central counting place, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one month.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 48 - Interfering With Election Officials

Section 48. Whoever interferes, or aids or abets any person in interfering, with an election commissioner, city or town clerk, election officer, or director of the count or assistant appointed under section six of chapter fifty-four A, in the performance of his duties shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 49 - Obstructing Transmission of Ballots or Returns

Section 49. Whoever wilfully obstructs or interferes with the transmission of ballots or returns to or from a polling place or a central counting place shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 50 - Alteration or Removal of Ballots

Section 50. Whoever alters a ballot cast at a primary or caucus or, not being authorized thereto, deposits a ballot in a ballot box, container or envelope used at a primary or caucus, or removes a ballot from such ballot box, container or envelope, shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for not more than two and one half years.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 51 - Tampering With Voting Machines

Section 51. Any person who shall tamper with or injure or attempt to tamper with or to injure any voting machine to be used or being used in an election, or who shall prevent or attempt to prevent the correct operation of such machine, or any unauthorized person who shall make or have in his possession a key to a voting machine to be used or being used in an election, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than two and one half years or in the state prison for not less than two and one half nor more than five years, or both.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 52 - Forgery, Destruction or Defacement of Ballots

Section 52. Whoever wilfully forges or falsely makes the official endorsement on any ballot, or wilfully destroys or defaces a ballot, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 53 - Distinguishing Marks on Ballots

Section 53. Whoever places a mark against a name on a ballot not cast by himself, or places a distinguishing mark on a ballot not cast by himself, except as authorized by law, shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than two and one half years.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 55 - Fraudulent Alteration or Removal of Ballots

Section 55. Whoever, with intent to defraud, alters a ballot cast at a primary, caucus or election; or, with such intent, deposits a ballot in the ballot box used at a primary, caucus or election, or in an envelope or container provided by law for the preservation of ballots cast at a primary, caucus or election; or, with such intent, removes a ballot from any such ballot box or envelope or container; shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than two and one half years.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 56 - Challenged Ballots; Giving Information About Vote

Section 56. Whoever gives any information derived from a recount of votes, relative to a ballot cast by a challenged voter at an election, caucus or primary, except as required by law, shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 58 - Prosecutions; Trial and Judgments; Motions for Other Dispositions

Section 58. A prosecution for the violation of any provision of chapters fifty to fifty-six, inclusive, shall not, unless the purposes of justice require such disposition, be placed on file or disposed of except by trial and judgment according to the regular course of criminal proceedings. It shall be disposed of otherwise only upon written motion stating specifically the reasons therefor and verified by affidavit if facts are relied on. If the court or magistrate certifies in writing that he is satisfied that the cause relied on exists and that the interests of public justice require the allowance of the motion, the motion shall be allowed and the certificate of the court or magistrate shall be filed in the case. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to permit the suspension of the execution of the sentence of a person convicted of a violation of any provision of section twenty-six or twenty-eight of chapter fifty-six.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 59 - Supreme Judicial Court; Superior Court Departments; Jurisdiction

Section 59. The supreme judicial court and the superior court department of the trial court shall have jurisdiction of civil actions to enforce the provisions of chapters fifty to fifty-six, inclusive, and may award relief formerly available in equity or by mandamus. The supreme judicial court shall also have jurisdiction of any civil action relative to the division of the commonwealth into congressional, councillor, senatorial, and representative districts in chapter fifty-seven, but every such action shall be filed within thirty days after the act establishing such districts has the force of a law.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 56 - Violations of Election Laws › Section 60 - Conduct Contrary to Election Laws; Remedies

Section 60. Whenever the state secretary determines, after consulting with the local official involved, that a pattern of conduct, or a standard, practice, or procedure of a city or town clerk, board of registrars of voters, or any other municipal or district officer or board upon whom a duty is imposed is contrary to chapters fifty to fifty-four, inclusive, or any other general or special law concerning administration of elections, he may order such local official to comply with law. The attorney general may enforce the order by civil action. The state secretary may adopt procedural regulations governing administrative proceedings under this section. The remedy provided by this section shall not in any way limit the availability of judicial remedies to any person, official, commission or board.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 57 - Congressional, Councillor and Senatorial Districts, and Apportionment of Representatives › Section 1a - Definitions

Section 1A. As used in this chapter, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:
''Census Block'' or ''Census Blocks'', 2020 census geography designated by the United States Census Bureau for which population data is reported under P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data.
''VTD'', Voting tabulation district 2020 census geography designated by the United States Census Bureau for which population data is reported under P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 57 - Congressional, Councillor and Senatorial Districts, and Apportionment of Representatives › Section 2 - Division of State Into Councillor Districts

Section 2. For the purpose of choosing councillors until the next apportionment, the commonwealth shall be divided, conformably with the constitution, into the following 8 councillor districts:
First — Consisting of the following senatorial districts: Cape and Islands; First Bristol and Plymouth; Second Bristol and Plymouth; Third Bristol and Plymouth; and Plymouth and Barnstable.
Second — Consisting of the following senatorial districts: Bristol and Norfolk; Middlesex and Norfolk; Norfolk, Plymouth and Bristol; Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex; and Second Plymouth and Norfolk.
Third — Consisting of the following senatorial districts: Third Middlesex; Fourth Middlesex; Middlesex and Worcester; Norfolk and Middlesex; and Suffolk and Middlesex.
Fourth — Consisting of the following senatorial districts: Norfolk and Plymouth; Norfolk and Suffolk; First Plymouth and Norfolk; First Suffolk; and Second Suffolk.
Fifth — Consisting of the following senatorial districts: First Essex; Second Essex; First Essex and Middlesex; Second Essex and Middlesex; and First Middlesex.
Sixth — Consisting of the following senatorial districts: Third Essex; Second Middlesex; Fifth Middlesex; Middlesex and Suffolk; and Third Suffolk.
Seventh — Consisting of the following senatorial districts: First Worcester; Second Worcester; Worcester and Hampden; Worcester and Hampshire; and Worcester and Middlesex.
Eighth — Consisting of the following senatorial districts: Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire; Hampden; Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester; Hampden and Hampshire; and Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title IX - Taxation › Chapter 58 - General Provisions Relative to Taxation › Section 1 - Commissioner; Establishment of Minimum Standards of Assessment Performance

Section 1. The commissioner of revenue in chapters fifty-eight to sixty-five C, inclusive, called the commissioner, shall make, and from time to time revise, such reasonable rules, regulations and guidelines, as may be necessary to establish minimum standards of assessment performance. The specific areas to which such standards relate shall include but not be limited to the following: the administration of all laws providing for the assessment and classification of property; the methods of determining the actual fair cash valuation of different kinds of property for tax purposes; the types of qualifications of assessing personnel; and the adequacy of tax maps and other records.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title IX - Taxation › Chapter 58 - General Provisions Relative to Taxation › Section 2 - Commissioner; Annual Lists to Board of Assessors; Classifications; Objections; Appeal

Section 2. The commissioner shall annually, on or before April first of each year, forward to each board of assessors a list of all corporations known to him to be liable on January first of said year to taxation under chapters fifty-nine, sixty A and sixty-three. Such list shall indicate which of said corporations have been classified by the commissioner as manufacturing corporations or research and development corporations and shall contain such other information as in his judgment will assist such boards of assessors in the assessment of taxes. The operation of a solid waste disposal facility, as defined in section eighteen of chapter sixteen, or the production of any material or other product therefrom which is usable or marketable shall not be deemed to be a manufacturing activity for the purposes of this section.
Any person aggrieved by any classification made by the commissioner under any provision of chapters fifty-nine and sixty-three or by any action taken by the commissioner under this section may, on or before April thirtieth of said year or the thirtieth day after such list is sent out by the commissioner, whichever is later, file an application with the appellate tax board on a form approved by it, stating therein the classification claimed.
The appellate tax board shall, within ten days after the decision on said application, give written notice thereof to the applicant. The decision of the board shall be binding upon the parties to any proceeding pending or brought before it which involves a tax for the year to which the decision is applicable. For the purpose of this section, ''person'' shall include a board of assessors.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title IX - Taxation › Chapter 58 - General Provisions Relative to Taxation › Section 3 - Commissioner; Assistance to Local Assessors

Section 3. In order to assist the assessors in the performance of their duties, the commissioner shall prepare, issue and periodically revise guides for local assessors. Such guides shall include the rules, regulations, and guidelines of the commissioner relative to the assessment, classification and administration of local taxes, an appraisal manual and, in addition, may include special studies, cost and price schedules, news and reference bulletins and digests of laws relating to local taxation. He shall prepare and issue such other printed instructions to the assessors which are adapted to varying local circumstances and to differences in the character and condition of property subject to local taxation as he shall deem necessary.
He shall conduct or sponsor in-service, pre-entry, and intern training programs on the technical, legal, and administrative aspects of the assessment process and may require assessors to attend such programs. Such programs shall include but not be limited to training required to meet minimum standards of assessment and classification performance established in accordance with section one. The commissioner may contract with educational institutions or appropriate professional associations to provide such training programs. He shall develop, prescribe, and require the use of all forms necessary for administration of the laws relating to the taxation of property. So far as practicable, the forms shall be uniform, but nothing herein shall be deemed to prevent the prescribing of substitute or additional forms where special circumstances require.
He shall annually, on or about January first, furnish to each board of assessors all the information relating to the assessment, classification, valuation and ownership of property taxable in their town that has come into possession of his department, particularly under chapter sixty-five and sixty-five C.
He shall cause a representative of his office to visit every city or town to give to the assessors such assistance as may be authorized or required by law.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title IX - Taxation › Chapter 58 - General Provisions Relative to Taxation › Section 4 - Noncompliance by Assessors

Section 4. Whenever it appears to the commissioner that the property, or any part thereof, in any town is not valued for taxation according to the first paragraph of section thirty-eight of chapter fifty-nine, and that such failure to comply with the law is the result of failure of the city or town to meet the minimum standards prescribed by the commissioner under the provisions of section one, including but not limited to minimum standards for keeping records of valuation, classification and ownership, production and maintenance of tax maps, and use of the opinions guides, manuals or other information furnished the assessors under the provisions of sections one A and three by the commissioner, or is due to failure on the part of its assessors, or any of them, to properly examine the records of the registry of deeds and probate court, he shall forthwith direct said assessors to meet the minimum standards required, to make use of the opinions, guides, manuals or other information furnished by him, and to make such examinations of the records of the registry of deeds and probate court as he deems necessary to correct the failure of the town to value any or all of the property for taxation according to law. On failure by the assessors, or any of them, to comply with such directions of the commissioner, for any reason, he shall forthwith notify the mayor or the selectmen, in writing, of said failure and of any requirements which he deems necessary or expedient to insure proper performance, valuation and classification of property for taxation according to law. Such notice shall contain a statement that failure of the town to comply with such requirements will result in court action.
At the request of local assessors, he shall contract on behalf of the city or town for engineering, professional or technical services for the installation of such record keeping system, the production and installation of tax maps, the appraisal or reappraisal of property, or such other action as is required for the town to meet the minimum standards prescribed.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title IX - Taxation › Chapter 58 - General Provisions Relative to Taxation › Section 4a - Continued Non-Compliance With Minimum Standards by Cities or Towns; Contracts by Commissioner; Court Orders

Section 4A. If such city or town fails, within a reasonable time, to comply with the notice and requirements of the commissioner and continues to fail to meet the minimum standards provided in section one and to value property for taxation in violation of section thirty-eight of chapter fifty-nine, (a) the commissioner may contract on behalf of the city or town to provide engineering, professional or technical services for the installation of such record keeping systems, the production and installation of tax maps, the appraisal or reappraisal of property, or such other action as he has required for the town to meet the minimum standards prescribed, or (b) a single justice of the supreme judicial court may, on the petition of the commissioner, order the mayor or selectmen to comply with the requirements of the commissioner or order its assessors to value property for taxation at its fair cash valuation and to classify real property according to use and to meet the minimum standards necessary to accomplish this within a definite period of time to be determined by the court. The commissioner shall file with his petition copies of his directions to the assessors and of his notice to the mayor or selectmen under the provisions of section four, together with such other evidence in his possession which he has collected in accordance with sections one A and six as will be helpful to the court in determining whether or not such an order should be issued.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title IX - Taxation › Chapter 58 - General Provisions Relative to Taxation › Section 4b - Compliance With Court Orders by Cities or Towns; Provision of Services by Commissioner

Section 4B. A city or town whose mayor or selectmen and assessors have been ordered by the court under section four A to comply with the requirements of the commissioner may request said commissioner to provide engineering, professional or technical services for the installation of such record keeping systems, the production and installation of tax maps, the appraisal or reappraisal of property, the classification of property, or such other action as may be necessary for such city or town to comply with such court order.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title IX - Taxation › Chapter 58 - General Provisions Relative to Taxation › Section 4c - Costs of Services Provided by Commissioner

Section 4C. Whenever the commissioner provides any service under the provisions of section four, four A or four B, the costs of such services shall be incurred by the commonwealth; and payment therefor shall be deducted by the state treasurer under the provisions of section twenty A of chapter fifty-eight from any amount distributable or payable by the commonwealth to such city or town.
Whenever, in the opinion of the commissioner, it is necessary for an assessor to attend any training program under the provisions of section three, the registration fees, costs of study material and necessary travel expense shall be paid by the city, town or district of such assessor.