Leader Donato urges emergency election authority for Secretary to keep elections running during state emergencies

Leader Donato told the Joint Committee on Election Laws that H.832 would give the Secretary of the Commonwealth authority to adopt emergency measures for election administration when the governor declares a state emergency.

Leader Donato said Massachusetts currently lacks a clear statutory process for managing elections during emergencies, forcing officials to seek court intervention in situations such as severe weather or public‑safety events. He cited the response to Hurricane Sandy (2012) as an example where civilian responders were deployed out of state and were unable to receive absentee ballots under the existing framework.

Under H.832, the Secretary would be able to implement emergency contingency measures during a declared state emergency and ‘‘work with municipalities to address severe weather and other emergencies that impact the voters,’’ including options to electronically send absentee ballots to civilian emergency workers when federal accommodations do not apply.

Leader Donato urged the committee to support the bill as a practical tool to ensure that ‘‘we are better prepared to conduct safe, accessible, and secure elections even under extraordinary circumstances.’’ Committee members acknowledged the example and thanked the sponsor; no formal vote or amendment occurred during the hearing.

The hearing record does not include detailed statutory language on limits, checks, or reporting requirements that the Secretary would follow under H.832. Committee members did not request a formal vote at the close of the session; the bill will remain under committee consideration pending any further filings or staff work.