Chap. 82 An Act relative to the reference to the voters in the town of swampscott of certain votes of representative town meetings.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

Section 1. Section 8 of chapter 300 of the acts of 1927 is hereby amended by striking out, in line 7, the words "two hundred" and inserting in place thereof the words: - five per cent of the, - so as to read as follows: - Section 8. No vote, except a vote to adjourn or authorizing the borrowing of money in anticipation of the receipt of taxes for the current year, passed at any representative town meeting shall be operative until after the expiration of five days, exclusive of Sundays and holidays, from the dissolution of the meeting. If, within said five days, a petition, signed by not less than five per cent of the registered voters of the town, containing their names and addresses as they appear on the list of registered voters, is filed with the selectmen asking that the question or questions involved in such vote be submitted to the registered voters of the town at large, then the selectmen, after the expiration of five days, shall forthwith call a special meeting for the sole purpose of presenting to the registered voters at large the question or questions so involved. The polls shall be opened at two o'clock in the afternoon and shall be closed not earlier than nine o'clock in the evening and all votes upon any questions so submitted shall be taken by ballot, and the check list shall be used in the several precinct meetings in the same manner as in the election of town officers. The questions so submitted shall be determined by vote of the same proportion of voters at large voting thereon as would have been required by law of the town meeting members had the question been finally determined at a representative town meeting. The questions so submitted shall be stated upon the ballot in substantially the same language and form in which they were stated when presented to said representative town meeting by the moderator, and as appears from the records of said meeting. If such petition is not filed within the said period of five days, the vote of the representative town meeting shall become operative and effective upon the expiration of said period.

Section 2. This act shall be submitted for acceptance to the qualified voters of the town of Swampscott at the annual town election in the current year. The vote shall be taken by ballot, in answer to the following question, which shall be placed upon the official ballot to be used at said

election: - "Shall an act passed by the General Court in the year nineteen hundred and fifty-five entitled 'An Act relative to the reference to the voters in the town of Swamp-scott of certain votes of representative town meetings', be accepted?" If a majority of the voters voting on said question shall vote in the affirmative, this act shall thereupon take full effect.

Section 3. For the purpose of acceptance by said town, this act shall take effect upon its passage.

Approved February 15, 1955.