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H4223 • 2025

An Act lowering the voting age in municipal elections in the town of Arlington

An Act lowering the voting age in municipal elections in the town of Arlington

Elections
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Garballey, Sean
Last action
2026-04-02
Official status
Accompanied a study order, see H5311 (under House Rule 27)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act lowering the voting age in municipal elections in the town of Arlington

An Act lowering the voting age in municipal elections in the town of Arlington By Representative Garballey of Arlington and Senator Friedman, a joint petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act lowering the voting age in municipal elections in the town of Arlington By Representative Garballey of Arlington and Senator Friedman, a joint petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 4223) of Sean Garballey, Cindy F.
  • Friedman and David M.
  • Rogers (by vote of the town) that the town of Arlington be authorized to grant legal voting rights in municipal elections to town residents aged 16 and 17 years old.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-02 House

    Accompanied a study order, see H5311 (under House Rule 27)

  2. 2025-08-29 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 09/16/2025 from 1:00 PM-5:00 PM in B-1

  3. 2025-06-18 Senate

    Senate concurred

  4. 2025-06-16 House

    Referred to the committee on Election Laws

  5. House

    Reported by committee to Clerk’s Office for processing, will accompany a study order

Official Summary Text

An Act lowering the voting age in municipal elections in the town of Arlington
By Representative Garballey of Arlington and Senator Friedman, a joint petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 4223) of Sean Garballey, Cindy F. Friedman and David M. Rogers (by vote of the town) that the town of Arlington be authorized to grant legal voting rights in municipal elections to town residents aged 16 and 17 years old. Election Laws. [Local Approval Received.]

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.4223

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding section 1 of chapter 51 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, any individual aged 16 or 17 years old residing in the Town of Arlington, who is ineligible to vote due to age under state law, but who is otherwise eligible, may apply to have their names entered on a list of voters established by the town clerk of the town of Arlington. Such individuals on the list of voters may vote in any election for local offices, local ballot questions, and town meeting in accordance with this act. For the purposes of this act, “local voters” shall be any individual who is eligible to vote pursuant to this act in a local election or upon a local ballot question in the Town of Arlington.

SECTION 2. The town clerk of the town of Arlington shall require local voters to complete an alternative registration form and shall establish a separate registration list for local voters. Upon turning 18, each local voter shall be taken off the separate registration list and notified that they must register as a regular voter in accordance with state law in order to be eligible to vote.

SECTION 3. The town clerk of the town of Arlington may promulgate regulations, guidelines and forms to implement the purpose of this act.

SECTION 4. The town of Arlington may pass bylaws to implement the purpose of this act.

SECTION 5. Nothing in this act shall be construed to confer upon local voters the right to vote for any state or federal office, or on any state or federal ballot questions.

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