[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6246691,"mediaKeyId","3214642-756cb617a5d11853e7423a04a9951cd4","parentId",3214642,"title","Committee hears municipal home-rule petitions on recall thresholds and term limits from Pembroke and Bridgewater","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",1390000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3214642-756cb617a5d11853e7423a04a9951cd4&start=1390&end=1390","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3214642-756cb617a5d11853e7423a04a9951cd4/thumbnail_1390000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6246691/Massachusetts/Committee-hears-municipal-home-rule-petitions-on-recall-thresholds-and-term-limits-from-Pembroke-and-Bridgewater","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6246691-d82ab2382ca28a9a133ddd6ae58a17be/orig.mp4?Expires=1776224229&Signature=O0mrZL8c0MwT3SSxCygIK3KwbqL0BP4-aP82wwNqSg-8SozrcwIvC2F1wdG34KSjKSX8hO5-nBd4powGYwigl6jdJDxWpqnx~MIXncrxI-uPTrFSfYq9KMpmhYvRT8Ck9ZeU4aiPfEMURgTkB6qiioWao4l17hURAL0C6VbBA3KLLekUeJ9zxvuWLf-S2g2pvZlP5Wrvpx~Hhw9U-uUvgnS0eLzw-pizVdLOzgMJ7RHVTNwgU~-UPzL5gvz84xl8XxO09tPwHQASRONNt2Lg9UZCIkZ7cv3Lybu9ix3iLfAO9SNkrHd8yLzOh4nNjUOUEY4KS~73~8akITJVXUDbKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Massachusetts Legislature","date","2025-05-06T00:00:00Z","article","Several local officials and lawmakers asked the Joint Committee on Election Laws to advance home-rule petitions that would change recall procedures and establish term limits in two Massachusetts towns.

Representative (unnamed in transcript) described Pembroke's vote to amend its recall law after a local incident and said the town seeks to lower the required petition signatures from 20% of registered voters to 10%. \"This is not an attempt to weaponize recall,\" the representative said, noting the amendment passed overwhelmingly at town meeting.

Representative Gallagher presented two home-rule petitions for Bridgewater, for a recall procedure and for term limits contained in a town charter review. Gallagher said the Bridgewater Town Council voted 8–0 to send the petitions to the legislature and that any changes would then be placed on a local ballot for voter ratification. \"If these move forward ... they do go to a ballot in the town of Bridgewater as well,\" Gallagher said.

On term limits, Gallagher said the proposed language would set limits at four three-year terms, totaling 12 years. He also noted the local charter review vetted the language and the town attorney reviewed it. No committee votes were taken; the panel accepted the testimony as part of a larger hearing on election-related bills.

The committee adjourned without taking action on the local petitions; Chair Dan Hunt reminded witnesses that written testimony could be submitted until committee action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Committee on Election Laws - 5-6-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Representatives described local petitions to lower recall petition signature thresholds in Pembroke and to add recall procedures and term limits in Bridgewater; both are home-rule petitions requiring legislative consideration and voter ratification.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MA, Massachusetts","taxId",77682,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6246695,"Brockton elections official seeks one-year residency requirement for candidates",211,557000,768000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3214642-756cb617a5d11853e7423a04a9951cd4&start=557&end=768","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3214642-756cb617a5d11853e7423a04a9951cd4/thumbnail_557000.jpg","/articles/6246695/Massachusetts/Brockton-elections-official-seeks-one-year-residency-requirement-for-candidates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6246695-94a7297aa4c95d6d74b7f0a923e50d11/orig.mp4?Expires=1776224229&Signature=gnnkfTdLBkpX0D0br~qKYXb-Clk2n595PsWSR6OmS6CjA0m6dQpym8hYpOkMaiLVGIkjSomZ0OGDvXkHQbSpYYg5FZjSaXAqAaK6raZvlUPnHQHJbIdWEJaZ6u8U0W1rFa~m0KLoGurZMvKzz0x0TBXudu8vbLYNE17lSnToj-aLhOQytUzD63E9oQI3MaDPMYix8X1Is3yFHEnzN~9Ux3UI8L2Y~OU4lmnpXPp4jznFMYTgi8--OadJzUUiwoaxXgsgJrXfvvpnZi~--Pvj47kfP7cooXUDQAHQjR~XlM70LWVdGnSM8xZLZXzAMPRI3~O5ofcG8mjFcU7ozBTXtg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cynthia Hogan, executive director of elections for the City of Brockton, urged the Joint Committee on Election Laws to approve a local measure that would require candidates for municipal office to have lived in the city for at least one year before running.

\"I want to have the people that are running for office live in the city for a year,\" Hogan told the committee, saying that in her 23 years at the elections office she has seen at least three candidates who used business addresses or property ownership to claim residency while living elsewhere.

Hogan described enforcement challenges under current law when property owners assert domicile at a local address. \"If they own property, they say they live at this property that they own... I can't call the landlord and say, 'hey, does he live there?' because they own the property,\" she said. Hogan said one case involved a candidate claiming to live \"in the basement of his restaurant,\" and another involved a registrant who actually lived in Whitman.

Hogan said the Brockton city council had unanimously passed a local petition calling for the change; she said voters tend to see through clearly nonresident candidates but that the Elections Office expends staff time investigating claims.

The committee did not vote on the proposal; Hogan's testimony was part of a larger hearing on multiple election-related bills. Chair Dan Hunt said written testimony would remain open until the committee takes action.","Cynthia Hogan, Brockton's elections director, urged the Joint Committee on Election Laws to allow cities to require candidates to live in the city for at least one year before running for office, citing repeated cases of nonresident candidates using business addresses to qualify.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6246698,"Mass. election committee hears bills to let 17-year-olds vote in primaries, and proposals to lower voting age",272,116000,388000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3214642-756cb617a5d11853e7423a04a9951cd4&start=116&end=388","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3214642-756cb617a5d11853e7423a04a9951cd4/thumbnail_116000.jpg","/articles/6246698/Massachusetts/Mass-election-committee-hears-bills-to-let-17-year-olds-vote-in-primaries-and-proposals-to-lower-voting-age","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6246698-236630edce5336285067490929274fbd/orig.mp4?Expires=1776224229&Signature=jE4C6RrR9JIbDqs1BR4gAYqDTsXSONuNq0yHBl5sf5G2i7aKXUGR~Ve9EDIcVkczXh~cvnjmnfqAkUU2ogSZpPXKqA6mG606TpDHblL0YVqwPMx35u36TEhnlN4Zm5itZuDsiUeYNR9cmMa38oVTjTf4COGo1ebB6vmKZ2LET88cvrVeLW3zjSQqUfFhAPAcoCF3DLFdQWkKNwN09I6v1C-mqmoNmXVx9A5rhYOm6MnxWMtdJWxORLrd~Hc18lSSIeeCs~vI5-3wVQNK5~DqmHwwXfQ2zaJ5DU-ZgT~olX8swZbhgWkz7v--3yUwE1MQh9wa1g8RzFPtdDTTRjWYgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Joint Committee on Election Laws heard testimony supporting bills that would let some 17-year-olds vote in primary elections and considering broader proposals to lower the voting age. Senator O'Connor and youth advocates spoke during a hearing at the State House on bills including Senate Bill 526 and House Bill 854.

\"Very simply, this bill would allow for 17 year olds to vote in a primary election if their birthday is before the general election,\" Senator O'Connor told the committee, saying the change would boost early voting habits and give younger voters a voice in candidate selection in competitive primaries.

The measure is one of several before the panel related to youth voting. Lawan Allen, executive director of Vote 16 USA, testified in support of multiple bills including House Bill 814 and related proposals to lower the voting age in local contests. \"Voting is habitual,\" Allen said, arguing that lowering the voting age can make young people lifelong voters and increase turnout among older voters as well.

Robin Chen, who identified herself as a lead petitioner for S.508/H.814 \"an act enabling children's right to vote,\" described a multi-year effort and framed enfranchisement as both accountability and dignity for young constituents. \"Your vote is your voice,\" Chen said during her remarks.

Proponents pointed to other states and localities as precedent. Senator O'Connor noted that 21 states and Washington, D.C., have enacted legislation enabling 17-year-olds to vote in primaries; he also cited Rhode Island's 2023 enactment. Allen said about 14 cities nationwide have lowered municipal voting ages, including nine in Maryland, three in California, and one each in Vermont and New Jersey.

Committee members asked questions about misinformation, voter readiness and international comparisons. One member, referring to her experience with Brazil, asked whether adolescents can be targeted by bad actors; Chen and Allen responded that misinformation is a broader societal problem and urged education and safeguards.

No committee vote was taken on any bill during the session. Committee chair Dan Hunt said written testimony would be accepted until action is taken on the bills and the hearing adjourned without formal action on the measures.

The committee hearing included 27 bills on the docket and nine registered public speakers; testimony was limited to three minutes per registrant, chair Dan Hunt said at the start of the hearing.","The Joint Committee on Election Laws heard testimony supporting Senate Bill 526 and House Bill 854 to allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 by the general election to vote in primaries, along with separate proposals to lower municipal voting ages and expand youth voter engagement.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears municipal home-rule petitions on recall thresholds and term limits from Pembroke and Bridgewater

Brockton elections official seeks one-year residency requirement for candidates

Mass. election committee hears bills to let 17-year-olds vote in primaries, and proposals to lower voting age