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H 836

An Act expanding ballot access for regional school district votes

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Rich Haggerty

H.836 standardizes polling hours to 7:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. for regional district votes and lets district committees set polling locations with town input.

Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling
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Bill Summary · H 836

Summary: Bill H.836 — An Act expanding ballot access for regional school district votes

Overview

H.836, introduced February 27, 2025 by Representatives Richard M. Haggerty (Woburn) and Kate Lipper-Garabedian (Melrose), seeks to expand and standardize ballot access for votes conducted by regional school districts in Massachusetts. The bill has been referred to the House Election Laws Committee and, after actions in both chambers, was reported favorably by a committee and referred to the House Steering, Policy and Scheduling Committee. A related measure previously appeared as House No. 690 in the 2023-2024 session.

Core Provisions

  • Amends Section 16 of Chapter 71 by replacing current subsection (n) with a new framework governing polling locations and hours.
  • Polling locations:
    • “The number and location of the polling place, or places, in each town shall be determined by the district committee after consultation with the select board or city council thereof.” This gives the regional district committee primary authority to set polling places, while requiring consultation with each town’s municipal governing body.
  • Polling hours:
    • “The hours during which all the polls in the district are open shall be uniform throughout the district and shall be 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.” This mandates standardized hours across all towns in the regional district.

Who Is Affected

  • Regional school districts and their district committees (the primary decision-makers under the bill).
  • Local governing bodies (select boards and city/town councils) whose input is required for polling location decisions.
  • Voters within towns that participate in regional school district votes, who would experience standardized polling hours and potentially adjusted polling locations.

Procedural and Timeline Notes

  • Introduced: February 27, 2025.
  • House actions: Referred to the Committee on Election Laws (February 27, 2025); later reported favorably by committee and referred to the Committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling (November 19, 2025).
  • Hearing: Scheduled for September 16, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM (House hearing room B-1).
  • Legislative history indicates this matter has evolved from a prior 2023-2024 version (HD 690).

Substantive Impact and Rationale

  • Standardization: The bill aims to create uniform poll hours across all towns within a regional district, which could simplify logistics for districts and voters.
  • Local collaboration: By requiring consultation with each town’s select board or city council, the measure preserves local input in determining polling locations.
  • Administrative changes: Shifts some authority to the district committee for determining polling locations, potentially affecting how polling sites are allocated and staffed within the district.

Notes

  • The text replaces existing Section 16(n) with the new provision, focusing on polling place decisions and uniform hours (7 a.m.–8 p.m.) across the district.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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