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Laws governing recall in Massachusetts

From Ballotpedia

Recall elections

Laws governing recall
Recall efforts by state
Recall efforts by year
Recall efforts by type

Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its laws governing recall elections.

Arecall election is the process by which citizens may remove elected officials from office before the expiration of their terms.This article summarizes the laws governing recall elections in Massachusetts. Massachusetts allows for the recall of local officials but does not allow for the recall of state officials.

In 39 states, local officials can be subject to recall elections. Of those, 19 also permit recalls of state-level officials. Eleven states do not permit recalls of elected officials at any level. Clickhere for more information.

Offices subject to recall

Federal officials

TheU.S. Constitution does not provide for the recall of elected federal officials. While some state constitutions have stated that their citizens have the right to recall members ofCongress, theSupreme Court has never ruled on whether such recalls are constitutional.^[1] Ballotpedia does not provide coverage of federal recalls. Clickhere for more information.

State officials

Massachusetts law does not provide for the recall of state officials.^[2]

Local officials

Recall of local elected officials inMassachusetts is available in some jurisdictions.^[3] The right of citizens to recall elected officials is believed to have been mentioned first in the Massachusetts Charter of 1691.^[4]

Process

Petition

Localized requirements

No specificgrounds are required for recall in Massachusetts. The recall of local officials in Massachusetts is governed by local charters. Because of this, recall laws regarding signature requirements and circulation time vary by locality.^[5]

Legislation involving recall elections

The table below lists bills related to recall elections in Massachusetts. The following information is included for each bill:

State
Bill number
Official bill name or caption
Most recent action date
Legislative status
Sponsor party
Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page onBallotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.