Bill > H4055

This bill establishes a comprehensive recall election process specifically for elected officials in the town of Lanesborough, Massachusetts. The bill allows registered voters to initiate a recall election against an office holder for specific reasons including lack of fitness (such as being intoxicated while performing duties or being placed under guardianship), neglect of duties, corruption (including felony convictions), misfeasance, or violation of oath, with the important caveat that routine voting decisions cannot be grounds for recall. The process requires at least 10 registered voters to file an initial affidavit with the town clerk, who then provides petition forms that must be signed by 100 registered voters within 20 days. If the petition is certified as valid, the select board must schedule a recall election between 60 and 90 days after certification, with the option to align the election with another scheduled town election. During the recall election, voters will first vote on whether to recall the official, and if a majority votes in favor, they will then vote for a successor, with the incumbent allowed to be a candidate. The bill includes provisions preventing recalls within the first three months of an official's term, barring recently recalled officials from appointment for one year, and applying the new rules to all current elected officials. The recall election process is designed to provide a democratic mechanism for removing officials who are deemed unfit for office while maintaining procedural safeguards.

Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4055