A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-108, regarding a report on offering early voting in City Council and School Committee 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 may offer early voting for municipal elections. The City of Cambridge may elect to 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 may promulgate regulations to implement this act not inconsistent with section 25B of chapter 54 of the General Laws and with other election laws applicable in the City of Cambridge, including those governing proportional representation voting. Such regulations may include, but are not 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 majority vote of the City Council of said City, but not otherwise.