Chapter 84.        AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE RETURN OF VOTES AFTER STATE ELECTIONS.
Be it enacted, etc., as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 54 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 115, as appearing in the 1986 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
Section 115. The state secretary shall lay before the governor and council the copies of the votes cast. After such delivery, the governor, with at least five councillors, shall examine the copies. They shall tabulate said votes and determine who appear to be elected to the several offices, and what appears to be the result of the votes on any question or questions, and shall forthwith transmit to the state secretary
an abstract of such tabulation and determination. The state secretary, upon application, shall furnish to newspapers copies of such abstract. In case of a state-wide or district-wide recount under section one hundred and thirty-five, the state secretary shall in like manner lay before the governor and council the copies of the amended records received by him under said section, and the governor with at Least five councillors shall, if necessary, revise the aforesaid tabulation and determination accordingly.
SECTION 2. Section 118 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- The copies of the records of votes for presidential electors shall, in any event, within ten days after' they have been transmitted to the state secretary, be examined by the governor and council, who shall thereafter declare, by proclamation, the names of the persons who have received at least one-fifth of the entire number of votes cast for electors, and the number of votes received by each such person.
SECTION 3. The provisions of this act shall take effect on January first, nineteen hundred and eighty-nine.
Approved lune 23, 1988.