Ballots, paper, size, form, type, etc.

Special ballots to be printed on

colored paper.

Ballots, state and city elec

tions, number to

be provided.

Town elections, number to be provided.

Partial ballots,

for use in certain cases.

of the districts. The surnames of the candidates of each political party for the offices of president and vice president, with the political designation thereof at the right of the surnames, shall be placed in one line above the group of candidates of such party for electors. A sufficient square in which each voter may designate by a cross [X], or by a stamp provided for that purpose, his choice for electors shall be left at the right of each political designation; and no other space or margin shall be left in any such group of candidates.

SECTION 196. The official ballots shall, except as otherwise specially provided herein, be of ordinary white printing paper, of two or more pages, and shall, before distribution, be so folded as to measure not less than four and one half inches nor more than five inches in width, and not less than six inches nor more than thirteen and one half inches in length. The names of all candidates shall be printed in black ink in lines at a right angle with the length of the ballot. The names of all candidates, other than candidates for presidential electors and for president and vice president, and the initial letters of all names of candidates for presidential electors, shall be in capital letters not less than one eighth of an inch nor more than one quarter of an inch in height. The surnames and political designations of the candidates for president and vice president shall be in capital letters not less than three sixteenths of an inch in height.

The special ballots shall be printed on colored paper, of a different color from that of specimen ballots.

SECTION 197. Two sets of ballots, each of not less than sixty ballots for every fifty and fraction of fifty registered male voters, shall be provided for each polling place at which an election for state or city officers is to be held, and two sets of special ballots, each of not less than sixty ballots for every fifty and fraction of fifty women registered to vote for school committee.

When ballots are prepared by the town clerk, one set of general ballots of not less than sixty ballots for every fifty and fraction of fifty registered male voters shall be provided, and one set of special ballots of not less than sixty ballots for every fifty and fraction of fifty women registered to vote for school committee.

Sufficient partial ballots in state elections shall be prepared for voters who may be entitled to vote for a part

only of the officers to be voted for in a city or town. A statement shall be printed on the back of such ballots, in addition to the official endorsement, indicating the class of voters for whose use the ballots are furnished, and such ballots only shall be furnished to such voters.

arranged in

packages, etc.

SECTION 198. Ballots, in convenient numbers, shall be Ballots to be arranged in packages. A record of the number of ballots printed and delivered to each polling place shall be kept by the secretary of the Commonwealth, or the city or town. clerk, for one year.

ballots when a

SECTION 199. If a vacancy occurs or is declared in Printing of the list of nominations the name of the candidate nomi- vacancy occurs. nated to fill such vacancy shall, if the ballots have not been printed, be placed on them, or, if the ballots have been printed, ballots containing the new nomination shall, when practicable, be substituted.

struction, etc.

SECTION 200. The secretary of the Commonwealth in Cards of instate elections, city clerks in city elections, and town clerks in town elections at which official ballots are used, shall, for every such election, prepare and cause to be printed in large clear type cards containing full instructions to voters for obtaining ballots, marking them, obtaining assistance and new ballots in place of those accidentally spoiled; and on separate cards such abstracts of the laws imposing penalties upon voters as they shall deem proper. They shall also provide for each polling Specimen place ten or more specimen ballots which shall be facsimiles of the ballots provided for voting, but printed without the endorsements and on colored paper. The secretary of the Commonwealth shall provide copies of any proposed amendment to the constitution submitted to the people, with a heading in large type, Proposed Amendment to the Constitution.

ballots.

dates, etc., state

registrars for

SECTION 201. The secretary of the Commonwealth Lists of candishall, at least five days before state elections, transmit to election, to be the registrars printed lists of the names, residences and transmitted to designations of candidates to be voted for at each poll- posting. ing place, substantially in the form of the official ballot, and also printed copies of any proposed amendment to the constitution. The registrars shall, upon the receipt thereof, conspicuously post in one or more public places

City election, posting, publication.

Town election, posting.

Lists of candidates, etc., state and city elections, to be

published.

Ballots, etc., state elections, packing.

Delivery, record, etc.

in each voting precinct or town the lists and copies aforesaid for such precinct or town.

SECTION 202. City clerks shall, at least four days before a city election, cause to be posted in every voting precinct the names, residences and designations of all candidates duly nominated and to be voted for in such city, substantially in the form of the official ballot, and cause the same to be published in at least two newspapers, if there are so many published in said city, representing so far as practicable the two leading political parties.

SECTION 203. Town clerks in towns using official ballots shall, at least four days before an election therein, cause to be posted in one or more public places the names, residences and designations of all candidates duly nominated and to be voted for in such town, substantially in the form of the official ballot.

SECTION 204. The secretary of the Commonwealth before state elections shall cause to be published a list of all candidates to be voted for in the county and the question on the approval and ratification of any proposed amendment to the constitution, and the city clerks before city elections, a list of all candidates to be voted for in their respective cities. Such lists and questions shall be in the form, as near as may be, in which they are to appear upon the official ballot, and said publication shall be made for state elections in at least two newspapers in the county and for city elections in at least two newspapers in the city, if there are so many in the county or city, representing so far as practicable the two leading political parties.

7. DELIVERY OF BALLOTS, ETC.

SECTION 205. Each set of ballots for state elections shall be enclosed in one package by the secretary of the Commonwealth, sealed and marked with the number of ballots of each kind therein, and specimen ballots, cards of instruction, and copies of any proposed amendment to the constitution shall be enclosed in another package, and the whole shall be further enclosed in a single package with marks on the outside indicating its contents and the polling place for which it is intended.

He shall transmit to the city or town clerks at different times or by different means two sets of ballots, cards of instruction and copies of proposed amendments to the

constitution, so that both sets shall be received at least twelve hours before the date of election, and the clerks shall return receipts therefor to the secretary. He shall keep a record of the time when and the manner in which the several packages are transmitted, and shall preserve for one year the receipts therefor.

elections.

The clerk of each city and the clerk of each town using City and town official ballots shall enclose the ballots, specimen ballots and cards of instruction for city or town elections in the

same manner.

Delivery at os, state and

city elections.

SECTION 206. The city or town clerk shall, on the day of every state or city election, before the opening of the polls, transmit to the election officers of each polling place therein one set of ballots with accompanying specimen ballots, cards of instruction and copies of proposed amendments to the constitution, which have been provided for such polling place; and the presiding elec- Receipt, record. tion officer at the polling place shall receipt therefor to the clerk, and such receipt, with a record of the number of ballots transmitted, shall be kept in the clerk's office for one year. The second set of ballots shall be retained Second set. by the clerk until the receipt by him of a requisition in writing of the presiding election officer of any polling place, when it shall be transmitted to such polling place in the manner above provided as to the first set. At At town electown elections, the town clerk shall deliver all such ballots, the specimen ballots and cards of instruction at the polling place on the day of the election before the opening of the polls.

SECTION 207. If the ballots provided for any polling place are not delivered, or if after delivery they are destroyed or stolen, the city or town clerk shall cause similar ballots to be prepared; and upon receipt of such new ballots, accompanied by a statement by the clerk under oath that they have been so prepared and transmitted by him, and that the original ballots have not been delivered or have been so destroyed or stolen, the ballots so substituted shall be used.

TITLE V.

1. CALLING OF ELECTIONS.

tions.

Ballots, substi

tuted, prepa

ration, etc.

SECTION 208. The annual state election for the choice Annual state election, date, of governor, lieutenant governor, councillors, secretary, officers to be treasurer and receiver general, attorney-general, auditor chosen.

Calls for elec. tions in cities.

In towns.

Seven days' notice to be given.

Warrants, etc., to specify off. cers, etc.

of accounts, and senators and representatives in the general court, shall be held on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November. There shall also be chosen at the annual state election, when required by law, presidential electors, and, in their respective districts or counties, representatives in congress, district attorneys, clerks of courts, registers of probate and insolvency, registers of deeds, county commissioners, special commissioners, sheriffs, and county treasurers.

SECTION 209. Meetings of the voters of each city for the election of state officers and city officers, shall be called by the aldermen, and the city clerk shall, under their direction, cause notice of such meetings to be printed in one or more newspapers published in such city, and to be conspicuously posted in the office of the city clerk; and in Boston in at least four daily newspapers published therein. Such notices shall be in lieu of the notices or warrants for election required in any city by special statutes. Meetings of the voters of each town for the election of state officers and town officers shall be called as provided in section three hundred and twenty-five of this act. Meetings for the annual state, city and town elections shall be called at least seven days before the day prescribed for the holding thereof.

SECTION 210. Notices or warrants for meetings for state and city elections, and for the election of town officers in towns where official ballots are used, shall specify by name all the offices to be voted for and state in full any proposed amendment to the constitution or other quesTime for open- tion submitted to the people. They shall specify the time when the polls will be opened, and in cities when the polls will be closed, and in towns when they may be closed.

ing and clos.

ing polls, etc.

In cities, time of opening and closing polls.

In towns, time of opening and closing polls.

In cities, the polls may be opened as early as six o'clock in the forenoon and shall be opened as early as ten o'clock in the forenoon and shall be kept open at least six hours, but in no case after the hour of sunset.

In towns, at the election of state and town officers, the polls may be opened as early as six o'clock in the forenoon and shall be opened as early as twelve o'clock, noon, and shall be kept open at least four hours, and until the time specified in the warrant when they may be closed; and they may be kept open for such longer time as the meeting shall direct, but they shall not be kept open after the hour of sunset. After an announcement has been