Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 950 CMR - OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH › Title 950 CMR 53.00 - Voting And Counting Procedures For Voting Machines › Section 53.01 - General Duties of Election Officers

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1)
Election Officers Assigned to Each Polling Place
. Each
			 precinct must have assigned to it a warden, clerk and at least two inspectors
			 (four in cities unless the clerk determines that fewer inspectors are needed),
			 unless in a town where five or fewer precincts vote in the same building the
			 selectmen decide otherwise under M.G.L. c. 54, § 24. In addition,
			 precincts may have a deputy clerk, deputy warden, additional inspectors as are
			 needed to run the election, and as many tellers as are necessary to count the
			 votes after the election.
(2)
Election Officers Must Represent Political Parties
.
			 With in each precinct, the election officers must equally represent the two
			 leading political parties. However, two of the officers in each precinct may be
			 unenrolled.
The warden and deputy warden must be from the same party and
				different from that of the clerk and deputy clerk. No more than half the
				inspectors may be from the same party.
Party representation requirements apply only if the chairman of
				the city or town committee of each political party or the chairman of the state
				committee of such party files with the registrars lists of enrolled members of
				the party who desire appointment as election officers under M.G.L. c. 54,
				§§ 11B, 12 and 13.
(3)
Warden: General Duties and
			 Authority
. The warden shall be the chief election officer at the
			 polling place. The warden shall supervise the other precinct election officers
			 before the polls open, during the election, and during the vote count. The
			 warden is responsible for maintaining order and handling violations of election
			 law by election officers or others. The warden may use police assistance when
			 necessary.
If the warden leaves, his deputy shall be in charge, but if
				there is no deputy, he may designate a qualified election officer to be in
				charge.
(4)
Clerk: General Duties
. The election clerk shall keep a
			 record of all facts relating to the proceedings of the election required by law
			 to be recorded. The clerk shall note any unusual happenings such as challenged
			 votes or ballots and inoperative machines during the conduct of the election.
			 The clerk is responsible for maintaining the Election Record, filling out forms
			 and adding vote totals for each candidate on the total tally sheet. The clerk
			 shall read and record the voting machine protective counter, and check the
			 public counter, before and after the election.
(5)
Inspectors: General
			 Duties
. Inspectors shall be assigned to duties by the warden. Two
			 election officers of different political parties shall be assigned to the
			 check-in area at the entrance to the voting area. Party representation
			 requirements may not apply under 950 CMR 53.01(2).
(6)
Voting Machine
			 Custodians
. Voting machine custodians shall be in charge of the
			 preparation and upkeep of voting machines. They shall be in charge of setting
			 up the voting machine prior to the opening of the polls. If they are requested
			 by the warden to make repairs or adjustments during the election they must make
			 the repair in the presence of at least two election officers.