EVCIElection Voter-Confidence Index

Section 48 establishes a statutory requirement to prepare and distribute specimen ballots and voting instruction cards at polling places. However, the statute does not establish a comprehensive voter pamphlet requirement with detailed content specifications for candidate information and ballot questions as contemplated by INFO.1. The section requires 'cards containing full instructions to voters' and 'abstracts of the laws imposing penalties' but does not enumerate specific content requirements for candidate biographical information, measure summaries, or arguments. The requirement is limited to specimen ballots (facsimiles of actual ballots) and instructional materials rather than a dedicated information pamphlet distributed to all voters. The statute codifies notification rules and timing ('for every such election') and specifies the form of ballot information (specimen ballots, instruction cards) but does not establish the comprehensive ballot-information content requirements and distribution scope that would fully satisfy the criterion.

“They shall also provide for each polling place ten or more specimen ballots which shall be facsimiles of the ballots provided for voting, but printed without the endorsements and on colored paper.”

No section in the FTS-surfaced candidates satisfies this criterion. Best signal: Section 25B addresses early voting procedures, application requirements, and accessibility accommodations for voters with disabilities. It does not establish statutory triggers for multilingual ballots or voter materials, nor does it set population thresholds or language-minority criteria that would mandate multilingual voting materials. The section focuses entirely on procedural mechanisms for early voting (application deadlines, electronic submissions, disability accommodations) rather than language accessibility requirements. While the statute may address multilingual requirements elsewhere in M.G.L. c. 54 or in federal law (Voting Rights Act), this particular section contains no codified triggers or criteria for multilingual ballot provision.

The section codifies public accessibility of candidate-filing documents ('statements and reports') and specifies a timing trigger ('as soon as such statements and reports are filed'). This satisfies the temporal clarity requirement. However, the section addresses only financial statements and reports under campaign finance law (M.G.L. c. 55), not nominating petitions or eligibility certifications, which are the primary 'candidate-filing documents' referenced in the criterion. The statute does establish a procedural clarity framework for one category of candidate filings but is silent on whether nominating petitions and certifications are publicly accessible or under what timeline. Since the criterion asks whether 'candidate-filing documents' broadly are covered, and this section covers only financial disclosures, the response is partial satisfaction.

“The director shall make all statements and reports required to be filed with him by this chapter available for convenient public inspection and reproduction by a copying machine at a commercially reasonable fee as soon as such statements and reports are filed with him.”

No section in the FTS-surfaced candidates satisfies this criterion. Best signal: Section M.G.L. c. 53, § 7 addresses disqualification during the nomination-paper certification process (marking names as disqualified and explaining why via symbols). However, the criterion CAND.2 specifically asks whether the statute codifies a public-notice procedure for candidates who are disqualified or withdraw *after the ballot is printed*. This section does not address post-ballot-printing disqualification or withdrawal procedures, nor does it codify any public-notice mechanism for communicating such events to voters. The section is limited to pre-filing certification and does not govern the post-printing stage or voter notification of disqualifications/withdrawals after ballot production. The criterion requires codification of a public-notice procedure for a distinct procedural phase not covered here.

This section codifies notice timing requirements (at least two weeks prior for caucus date, at least ten days prior for polling place location) and specifies content (date, polling places). However, the statute addresses *internal party notice* (committee to aldermen/selectmen to committee) rather than direct voter notification. The section does not establish a requirement to notify voters of registration deadlines or provide the comprehensive pre-election voter notice that NOTIF.1 seeks. The voter notification requirement is limited to a request mechanism for multiple voting lines. The statute does not require affirmative voter notification of election dates, polling places, or registration deadlines to the general electorate with defined timing and content.

“the chairman or secretary of the city or town committee shall give notice of such date to the aldermen or to the selectmen, who shall, at least ten days prior to such date, notify the city or town committee of the places selected for holding the caucuses”

M.G.L. c. 54, § 24 does require notice by mail to each residence of registered voters when a polling place changes. This satisfies the core notification requirement. However, the statute does not specify a defined timeframe (e.g., 'within 10 days' or 'prior to the next election') for when this mail notice must be delivered. The criterion requires both individual notice AND a defined timeframe. The statute clearly mandates the notice mechanism (mail to residences) but leaves timing ambiguous, meeting half of the criterion's requirements. A dual-scholar reading would note that 'shall give notice by mail' is mandatory language, but the absence of temporal specificity creates procedural uncertainty about when voters must receive notification.

“When a polling place in a voting precinct is changed from one location to another, the board of election commissioners in the city of Boston, the aldermen in any other city or the selectmen in any town shall cause printed descriptions of such polling place to be posted in such public places in such precinct as they determine and shall give notice by mail to each residence of one or more registered voters therein.”