Bill
S 528
The bill expands the State Ballot Law Commission’s jurisdiction to hear presidential primary ballot placement disputes and adds a tight filing deadline after the Secretary’s name-o
Short title: The bill as filed is captioned "An Act enhancing jurisdiction of the state ballot law commission."
Note on metadata: The initial one-line title in the provided materials ("Relates to the salaries of certain teachers and aides...") appears inconsistent with the bill text. The Senate docket and bill language identify Senator Rebecca L. Rausch as the filing legislator and the subject as ballot law jurisdiction; readers should rely on the bill text and docket (Senate No. 528 / SD 2138) for substantive content.
Purpose and intent
- To expand the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts State Ballot Law Commission to include disputes about the placement/order of names on presidential primary ballots, and to establish a short statutory deadline for filing objections to those placements.
Key provisions (by section)
- Section 1: Amends G.L. c. 53, §70E to create an exception for matters governed by sections 4 and 5 of chapter 55B (i.e., ballot-placement disputes for presidential primaries).
- Sections 2–4: Amend G.L. c. 55B, §4 to explicitly add “placement of names on a presidential primary ballot” to the matters within the commission’s review and to clarify that such placement issues may concern “any candidate or” related party and must be considered consistent with c. 53, §70E.
- Section 5: Adds a new filing deadline specific to presidential primary ballot-placement objections: objections to “all other presidential primary candidates whose names are placed on a presidential primary ballot consistent with the provisions of section 70E of chapter 53” must be filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth by 5:00 p.m. on the third business day after the Secretary announces the order of names to be printed.
- Sections 6–7: Make conforming edits in G.L. c. 55B, §5 to include “presidential” in the types of contests covered and to expressly add “placement of names on a presidential primary ballot … consistent with the provisions of section 70E of chapter 53” to matters for which the commission may consider objections.
Who or what would be affected
- Presidential primary candidates (including “all other” candidates whose names are printed);
- The Secretary of the Commonwealth (who announces order and receives objections);
- Parties and party officials involved in candidate-listing and ballot order determinations;
- The State Ballot Law Commission, whose jurisdiction and caseload would formally expand to include ballot-placement disputes for presidential primaries;
- Local election officials insofar as outcomes of commission rulings affect ballots and printing deadlines.
Procedural / timeline notes (from provided record)
- Introduced in the Senate (docketed as SD 2138) and presented by Sen. Rebecca L. Rausch.
- Referred to committees including Election Laws and (per the record) Environment & Public Works and Education; a hearing was scheduled for 06/17/2025.
- Reported favorably by committee and later referred to Senate Ways and Means; status entries include “REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE.”
- Because the bill imposes a short, specific objection window tied to the Secretary’s announcement, its practical effect depends on coordination with ballot-printing schedules and existing nomination/filing deadlines.
Other notes
- The provided sponsor list (federal senators and out-of-state legislators) appears inconsistent with a Massachusetts state Senate filing; filers should verify sponsor information in the official Massachusetts legislative database.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
Sign in to ask a question.
