The Green Papers: Massachusetts State and Local Government

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Governor:1
Senators: 2 (Electoral Classes 1 and 2)
2020 Census: 7,033,469 (2.12% of 331,797,979
- 2024, 2028 Electors: 11 (2.04% of 538)
- 2022-2030 Representatives: 9 (2.07% of 435)
2010 Census: 6,559,644 (2.12% of 309,785,186)
- 2012, 2016, 2020 Electors: 11 (2.04% of 538)
- 2012-2020 Representatives: 9 (2.07% of 435)
Capital: Boston

Current Massachusetts Statewide Office Holders

Official Name/Status All States

The COMMONWEALTH of Massachusetts
Status: STATE of the Union
Ratified Articles of Confederation: 10 March 1778. this State formally adhered to the Articles on 9 July 1778 when the document was signed by its delegates to the Seventh Continental Congress
Ratified Constitution of the United States: 6 February 1788
The 6th state.

Traditional Sections and Regions All States

Section: NORTHEAST
Region: New England
Survey: Metes & Bounds

Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions

Enabling Act: [None. One of the 13 original States which declared their independence from the nascent British Empire on 4 July 1776]
- 1st (1780-) [Adopted: 2 March 1780 Convention convened, 1 September 1779, Ratified: 15 June 1780 ratified by the annual Town Meetings in the Spring of 1780: the Constitutional Convention thereafter resumed to consider amendments proposed at these Town Meetings and, on 15 June 1780, declared the Constitution to have been ratified; this Constitution became effective, 25 October 1780 and remains, at least ostensibly, the oldest written Constitution still in operation in the entire World. (The Constitutional Convention of 1919 recodified this document by incorporating the 66 amendments hitherto added to the 1780 Constitution into the body of that Constitution: this recodification was approved by the voters on 4 November 1919; however, this recodification is not generally considered to be a new Constitution per se)]

Executive Branch All States

Chief Executive
- GOVERNOR
Successor to a Vacancy
- Lieutenant Governor [elected separately from GOVERNOR]

Major Executive Officers Elected Statewide All States
- Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: None
- Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Elected on a ticket with (but nominated separately from) the Governor
- Secretary of the Commonwealth: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Treasurer and Receiver-General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Auditor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026

Legislative Branch All States

Legislature
- GENERAL COURT

Upper House
- Senate
Lower House
- House of Representatives

Judicial Branch All States

Court of Last Resort
- Supreme Judicial Court
Intermediate Appellate Court
- Appeals Court

Local Government All States

PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION All States
- county [Type: Weak, Executive and Legislative: Board of Commissioners. Chapter 34B of the General Laws of Massachusetts- enacted in 1996- provides for the optional abolition of County Government, with the further option of replacing most of the former functions of such abolished government with a Regional Council of Governments made up of representatives of the Minor Civil Divisions (Cities and Towns) within or contiguous to a given abolished County. As in CONNECTICUT and RHODE ISLAND, abolished Counties continue to function as the basis of subdivisions of the Commonwealth for judicial purposes.]
  - MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    - TOWN [Type: Very Strong, Executive: Board of Selectmen, Legislative: TOWN MEETING]

Localities All States
- Massachusetts Civil Divisions and Municipalities

Key Statewide / Federal Officials All States

Massachusetts Officials

Statutory Election Information All States

General Election All States
- Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in every even-numbered year. [The General Laws of Massachusetts Chapter 54: Section 62]
Presidential Primary All States
- Presidential primaries shall be held on the first Tuesday in March in any year in which presidential electors are to be elected. [The General Laws of Massachusetts, Title VIII, Chapter 53: Section 28.]
State Primary All States
- Governor Duval Patrick signed HB 3764 on 26 November 2013. The bill moves the 2014 primary date from 16 September to 9 September. The bill only applies to 2014. "Notwithstanding the provisions of section 28 of chapter 53 of the General Laws or any other special or general law to the contrary, the state primary in 2014 shall be held on September 9, 2014.".
  "SECTION 8A. (a) Notwithstanding section 28 of chapter 53 of the General Laws, or any other general or special law to the contrary, the state primary for the calendar year 2012 shall be held on Thursday, September 6. -- HB3788 s/11 November 2011
  State primaries shall be held on the seventh Tuesday preceding biennial state elections and on the fourth Tuesday preceding special state elections, except that primaries before special elections for senator or representative in congress shall be held on the sixth Tuesday preceding said elections. [The General Laws of Massachusetts, Title VIII, Chapter 53: Section 28.]
- (2019-2020) Governor Governor Charlie Baker signed HB 4246 on 13 December 2019. SECTION 83. Notwithstanding section 28 of chapter 53 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the state primary in 2020 shall be held on Tuesday, September 1, 2020.
Polling times All States
- The polls shall in no case be kept open after eight o’clock in the evening ... the polls may be open as early as fifteen minutes before six o’clock in the forenoon, and shall be open not later than seven o’clock in the forenoon and shall be kept open at least thirteen hours. [The General Laws of Massachusetts Title VIII, Chapter 54: Section 64.]. [The polls must be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Some municipalities may open their polls as early as 5:45 a.m. -Ed]

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State and Local Government Outline

Modified .