Chap. 0280 An Act relative to the notification of voters whose names are omitted from the annual register of voters in any year, and requiring that lists of such names be posted or otherwise made available for public inspection.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

Section 1. Chapter fifty-one of the General Laws, as amended in section thirty-seven by section two of chapter two hundred and nine of the acts of nineteen hundred and twenty-one and by section twelve of chapter one hundred and thirty-one of the acts of nineteen hundred and twenty-three, is hereby further amended by striking out said section thirty-seven and inserting in place thereof the following: - Section 37. The registrars, after April first, shall prepare an annual register containing the names of all qualified voters in their city or town for the current year, beginning with said day. Such names shall be arranged in alphabetical order, and, opposite to the name of each voter, his residence on April first preceding or on any subsequent day when he became an inhabitant of the city or town. The registrars shall enter in the annual register every name contained in the lists transmitted to them by the assessors under section five, which they can identify as that of a person whose name was borne on the voting list of the city or town at the last preceding election or town meeting, giving the residence of each such person on April first, which, in the case of a person assessed a poll tax, shall be the place at which he was so assessed. They shall make all inquiries and investigations necessary to identify such person, and they shall not enter in the annual register the name of a person objected to by any registrar until such person has been duly notified and given an opportunity to be heard. They shall forthwith enter in the annual register the name of every person whose qualifications as a voter have been determined by them in the current year and whose name has accordingly been entered in the general register. They shall, on or before the first Monday of August in each year, send notice in writing to each voter of the preceding year whose name has not been entered in the annual register of the current year that the name of such voter has not been so entered, such notice to be sent by first class mail enclosed in an envelope bearing the proper address to which the same may be returned in case of non-delivery, and the registrars shall prepare a list of the names of voters not so entered, which shall be open to public inspection in their principal office, or shall be posted by copy in the places where copies of voting lists are required to be posted under section fifty-seven of chapter fifty-one. This section shall not apply to cities and towns having listing boards.

Section 2. Chapter one hundred and six of the General Acts of nineteen hundred and seventeen, as amended in section fifteen by section four of chapter eighty-four of the

acts of nineteen hundred and twenty-one, is hereby further amended by striking out said section fifteen and inserting in place thereof the following: - Section 15. The registrars of voters shall, after the first day of April in each year, prepare an annual register containing the namos of all qualified voters in Chelsea for the current year, beginning with the first day of April. The names shall be arranged by wards and precincts and, opposite the name of each voter, shall be entered his residence on the preceding first day of April or any subsequent day when he became a resident of said city. The registrars of voters shall enter in the annual register every name contained in the lists, for the current year, of persons transmitted to them by the listing board, giving, as the residence of each person on the first day of April, the place at which he was listed by said board; provided, that in every case they are able to identify the name so transmitted as that of a man or woman whose name was borne on the voting list of said city at the last preceding election. They shall make all inquiries and investigations necessary to identify such person, and they shall not enter in the annual register the name of a person objected to by any of the registrars of voters, until such person has been duly notified and given an opportunity to be heard by them, and shall have appeared and satisfied them of his right to have his name so entered. They shall forthwith enter in the annual register the name of every person whose qualifications as a voter have been determined by them in the current year and whose name has accordingly been entered in the general register. They shall, on or before the first Monday of August in each year, send notice in writing to each voter of the preceding year whose name has not been entered in the annual register of the current year that the name of such voter has not so been entered, such notice to be sent by first class mail enclosed in an envelope bearing the proper address to which the same may be returned in case of nondelivery; and if upon investigation they are satisfied that the name of any such voter has been omitted by mistake from the lists transmitted to them by the listing board, they may enter his name in the annual register and shall cause such entry to be attested by their clerk. The registrars shall prepare a list of the names of voters not so entered, which shall be open to public inspection in their principal office, or shall be posted by copy in the places where copies of voting lists are required to be posted under section fifty-seven of chapter fifty-one of the General Laws.

Section 3. Chapter two hundred and eighty-two of the General Acts of nineteen hundred and eighteen, as amended in section fifteen by section four of said chapter eighty-foui and as affected by chapter two hundred and thirty-nine of the acts of nineteen hundred and twenty-one, is hereby further amended by striking out said section fifteen and inserting in place thereof the following: - Section 15. The board of election commissioners shall, after the first day of April in each year, prepare an annual register containing the

names of all qualified voters in Cambridge for the current year, beginning with the first day of April. The names shall be arranged by wards and precincts and, opposite the name of each voter, shall be entered his residence on the preceding first day of April or any subsequent day when he became a resident of said city. The board of election commissioners shall enter in the annual register every name contained in the lists, for the current year, of persons transmitted to it by the listing board, giving, as the residence of each person on the first day of April, the place at which he was listed by said listing board; provided, that in every case the board of election commissioners is able to identify the name so transmitted as that of a man or woman whose name was borne on the voting list of said city at the last preceding election. The board shall make all inquiries and investigations necessary to identify such person, and it shall not enter in the annual register the name of a person objected to by any of it's members, until such person has duly been notified and given an opportunity to be heard by it, and shall have appeared and satisfied it of his right to have his name so entered. The board shall forthwith enter in the annual register the name of every person whose qualifications as a voter have been determined by it in the current year and whose name has accordingly been entered in the general register. The board shall, on or before the first Monday of August in each year, send notice in writing to each voter of the preceding year whose name has not been entered in the annual register of the current year that the name of such voter has not so been entered, such notice to be sent by first class mail enclosed in an envelope bearing the proper address to which the same may be returned in case of nondelivery; and if upon investigation it is satisfied that the name of any such voter has been omitted by mistake from the lists transmitted to it by the listing board, it may enter his name in the annual register and shall cause such entry to be attested by its clerk. The board shall prepare a list of the names of voters not so entered, which shall be open to public inspection in its principal office, or shall be posted by copy in the places where copies of voting lists are required to be posted under section fifty-seven of chapter fifty-one of the General Laws.

Section 4. Chapter one hundred and eight of the General Acts of nineteen hundred and nineteen, as amended in section fifteen by section four of said chapter eighty-four, is hereby further amended by striking out said section fifteen and inserting in place thereof the following: - Section 15. The registrars of voters shall, after the first day of April in each year, prepare an annual register containing the names of all qualified voters in Watertown for the current year, beginning with the first day of April. The names shall be arranged by precincts and, opposite the name of each voter, shall be entered his residence on the preceding first day of April or any subsequent day when he became a resident of

said town. The registrars of voters shall enter in the annual register every name contained in the lists, for the current year, of persons transmitted to them by the listing board, giving, as the residence of each person on the first day of April, the place at which he was listed by said board; provided, that in every case they are able to identify the name so transmitted as that of a man or woman whose name was borne on the voting list of said town at the last preceding election. They shall make all inquiries and investigations necessary to identify such person, and they shall not enter in the annual register the name of a person objected to by any of the registrars of voters, until such person has been duly notified and given an opportunity to be heard by them, and shall have appeared and satisfied them of his right to have his name so entered. They shall forthwith enter in the annual register the name of every person whose qualifications as a voter have been determined by them in the current year and whose name has accordingly been entered in the general register. They shall, on or before the first Monday of August in each year, send notice in writing to each voter of the preceding year whose name has not been entered in the annual register of the current year that the name of such voter has not so been entered, such notice to be sent by first class mail enclosed in an envelope bearing the proper address to which the same may be returned in case of non-delivery; and if upon investigation they are satisfied that the name of any such voter has been omitted by mistake from the lists transmitted to them by the listing board, they may enter his name in the annual register and shall cause such entry to be attested by their clerk. The registrars shall prepare a list of the names of voters not so entered, which shall be open to public inspection in their principal office, or shall be posted by copy in the places where copies of voting lists arc required to be posted under section fifty-seven of chapter fifty-one of the General Laws.

Section 5. Section ten of chapter one hundred and fifty-four of the acts of nineteen hundred and twenty, inserted by section two of chapter one hundred and thirty-one of the acts of nineteen hundred and twenty-three, is hereby amended by striking out the last sentence and inserting in place thereof the following: - The commission shall, on or before the first Monday of August in each year, send notice in writing to each voter of the preceding year whose name has not been entered in the annual register of the current year that the name of such voter has not so been entered, such notice to be sent by first class mail enclosed in an envelope bearing the proper address to which the same may be returned in case of non-delivery, and the commission shall prepare a list of the names of voters not so entered, which shall be open to public inspection in its principal office, or shall be posted by copy in the places where copies of voting lists are required to be posted under section fifty-seven of chapter fifty-one of the General Laws.

Section 6. Section seventy-six of chapter eight hundred and thirty-five of the acts of nineteen hundred and thirteen, as most recently amended by section five of chapter one hundred and fourteen of the acts of nineteen hundred and twenty-one, is hereby further amended by striking out the last sentence and inserting in place thereof the following: - They shall, on or before the first Monday of August in each year, send notice in writing to each voter of the preceding year whose name has not been entered in the annual register of the current year that the name of such voter has not been so entered, such notice to be sent by first class mail enclosed in an envelope bearing the proper address to which the same may be returned in case of non-delivery, and they shall prepare a list of the names of voters not so entered, which shall be open to public inspection in their principal office, or shall be posted by copy in the places where copies of voting lists are required to be posted under section fifty-seven of chapter fifty-one of the General Laws.

Approved May 1, 1929.