Massachusetts General Laws ch. 53 sec. 110 – Counting of ballots; announcement of result; sealing; transmittal of records
Section 110. Immediately after the polls have been declared closed, but not before, the ballots shall be counted in full view of the voters. When they have been counted and the result ascertained, the presiding officer shall make public announcement thereof in open meeting, and the clerk shall, in open meeting, enter in words at length in the record book, the total number of names checked on the voting list, the total number of ballots cast, the names of all persons voted for, the number of votes for each person, and the title of the office for which he was a candidate. The clerk shall forthwith make a copy of said record, certify, seal and transmit it to the city or town clerk. He shall then, before the adjournment of the caucus, and in the presence of those who counted the same, seal up all ballots cast, with the voting lists used, and a statement of any challenge made.
Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws ch. 53 sec. 110
- Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
The warden and clerk shall endorse upon such package the name of the political party holding the caucus, its date, its purpose, and, if in a city, for what ward and precinct the ballots were cast. The warden shall forthwith transmit, by the officer detailed to attend the caucus, to the city or town clerk, the ballots cast, the voting lists, the ballot boxes, the ballot box seals, the counting apparatus, the copy of the records, and the record book.
The city or town clerk shall safely keep such sealed packages for ten days. If within said time ten voters entitled to vote in said caucus file with him a written request so to do, he shall preserve said ballots and voting lists for three months and shall produce them if required by any court having jurisdiction or authority over them.