An Act granting the city of Boston the authority to endow legal voting rights in municipal elections for city of Boston residents aged 16 and 17 years old
Generates a plain-language summary of the bill text and history.
| Date | Branch | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 3/19/2026 | House | Accompanied a study order, see H5253↗ (under House Rule 27) |
| — | House | Reported by committee to Clerk’s Office for processing, will accompany a study order |
| 4/28/2025 | Joint | Hearing scheduled for 05/06/2025 from 01:00 PM-04:00 PM in B-1 |
| 2/27/2025 | Senate | Senate concurred |
| 2/27/2025 | House | Referred to the committee on Election Laws |
No additional cosponsors.
| Committee | Recommendation | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| J15 | Accompanied | — |
Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1 of chapter 51 of the General Laws or any other general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, any individual aged 16 or 17 years old residing in the City of Boston, who is ineligible to vote due to age under state law, but who is otherwise eligible to vote under state law, may upon application have their names entered on a list of voters established by the board of election commissioners for the City of Boston. Such individuals on the list of voters may vote in any election for local offices and local ballot questions in accordance with this Act. For the purposes of this Act, "local voters" are anyone who is eligible to vote pursuant to this Act in a local election or upon a local ballot question in the City of Boston.
Said board of election commissioners shall establish a separate registration list for local voters who shall fill out an alternative registration form. Upon turning eighteen, each local voter shall be taken off the separate list and notified that he or she must register as a regular voter in accordance with state law, regulations, and guidelines, in order to be eligible to vote. Said board shall create and print, at the city of Boston's expense, the special registration form needed for the purpose of registering local voters.
Said board is hereby authorized to promulgate regulations, guidelines and forms to implement the purpose of this act.
If a local ballot question appears on a state election ballot, the board shall print a separate ballot for the local ballot question at the expense of the City of Boston.
The City of Boston is hereby authorized to pass ordinances to implement the purpose of this act subject to all the provisions of the Boston city charter.
Nothing in this act shall be construed to confer upon local voters the right to vote for any state or federal office or any state or federal ballot questions.
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1 of chapter 51 of the General Laws or any other general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, any individual aged 16 or 17 years old residing in the City of Boston, who is ineligible to vote due to age under state law, but who is otherwise eligible to vote under state law, may upon application have their names entered on a list of voters established by the board of election commissioners for the City of Boston. Such individuals on the list of voters may vote in any election for local offices and local ballot questions in accordance with this Act. For the purposes of this Act, "local voters" are anyone who is eligible to vote pursuant to this Act in a local election or upon a local ballot question in the City of Boston. SECTION 2. Said board of election commissioners shall establish a separate registration list for local voters who shall fill out an alternative registration form. Upon turning eighteen, each local voter shall be taken off the separate list and notified that he or she must register as a regular voter in accordance with state law, regulations, and guidelines, in order to be eligible to vote. Said board shall create and print, at the city of Boston's expense, the special registration form needed for the purpose of registering local voters. SECTION 3. Said board is hereby authorized to promulgate regulations, guidelines and forms to implement the purpose of this act. SECTION 4. If a local ballot question appears on a state election ballot, the board shall print a separate ballot for the local ballot question at the expense of the City of Boston. SECTION 5. The City of Boston is hereby authorized to pass ordinances to implement the purpose of this act subject to all the provisions of the Boston city charter. SECTION 6. Nothing in this act shall be construed to confer upon local voters the right to vote for any state or federal office or any state or federal ballot questions.