Order filing Home Rule Petition entitled "An Act Authorizing the City of Cambridge to offer Early Voting in Municipal Elections

AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE TO OFFER EARLY VOTING IN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: SECTION 1. Beginning in the year 2019, notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the City of Cambridge’s Election Commission shall offer early voting for municipal elections. The City of Cambridge’s Election Commission shall allow any qualified voter, as defined in section 1 of chapter 51 of the General Laws, to cast a ballot for any biennial municipal election during the early voting period. The City of Cambridge’s Election Commission shall promulgate regulations to implement this act consistent with section 25B of chapter 54 of the General Laws. Such regulations shall include, but shall not be limited to, a process for establishing early voting locations, dates, staffing, and a process for applying for, receiving, separating, compiling, recording, and securing early voter ballots. Each early voting site shall be accessible to persons with disabilities. SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE This act shall take full effect upon its acceptance and appropriation by vote of the City Council of said City, but not otherwise.