Massachusetts Statutes § 55B:6 Signatures; review; correction

This section applies only to candidates for president who file nomination papers to be placed on the ballot at presidential primaries, and to all candidates at regular state primaries and biennial state elections. Any candidate who has filed nomination papers with the local registrars and who has an insufficient number of certified signatures for nomination to the office sought, or, any candidate who has enough signatures certified for nomination but only has ten per cent or less certified signatures in excess of the number needed for nomination may request a review of the signatures he filed by making written application to the registrars. Said application shall list the signatures not previously certified by the registrars on which the candidate is requesting a review. Local registrars, upon receipt of any such written request shall review the signatures appealed by the candidate and correct any errors or mistakes in certification. Review and corrections shall be completed no later than twenty-four hours before the final hour for filing said papers with the state secretary. Candidates may request only one review. Said application shall be submitted to the registrars no later than forty-eight hours after the last day for the registrars to certify nomination papers.

Local registrars shall be responsible for defending their actions with respect to original certification, reviews and corrections. A candidate who has a deficient number of signatures or who still has ten per cent or less signatures in excess of the number needed for nomination, after completion of the review process, and who has filed his papers with the state secretary by five o'clock post meridian of the last day for filing such nomination papers may appeal from the decision of the local registrar to the superior court of the county in which the candidate is a resident; provided, however, that if such superior court is not holding a civil session the superior court of Suffolk county. Such appeal shall be in the form of a civil action and shall be filed within seventy-two hours of the last day and time for filing nomination papers with the state secretary.

The commission shall not have jurisdiction over any appeal brought under this section.