Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Vote Yesterday!

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Seems simple enough right?  Not so fast!  Somebody is reading this in a different light.  Here is a clip from the Secretary’s Election Day Legal Summary:

Activities in the Polling Location

On Election Day, certain activities are prohibited within the polling location and within 150 feet of the polling place.  General Law chapter 54, section 65 prohibits within 150 feet of a polling location, among other things, the posting, exhibition, circulation, or distribution of material–including pasters, stickers, posters, cards, handbills, placards, pictures or circulars–intended to influence the action of the voter.  G. L. 54, § 65 (1998 ed.).

I know, you are wondering, “what’s the big deal?”  Our town clerk has used the Galvin reading of the law and cordoned off the whole building. I think it is overkill, but it won’t kill me.  Just go do the democratic thing and vote.
 

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Comments

  1. I’m glad you raised this topic.  In my (admitadly limited) experience, you will get the lest amount of hastle if you let the poll cops and precinct captain know that your group is there and plan to make their job easier by scruplously toeing the line (wherever it randomly may lie).  This will not prevent them from cordoning off a whole building, but it can help prevent any nasty surprises on what can be, for them, a nervious-making day, by you all getting aquainted and layingout the distance rules in advance.

  2. and no other poster, card, handbill, placard, picture or circular intended to influence the action of the voter shall be posted, exhibited, circulated or distributed in the polling place, in the building where the polling place is located, on the walls thereof, on the premises on which the building stands, or within one hundred and fifty feet of the building entrance door to such polling place

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    Galvin’s advisory is entirely correct, as is the action of your clerk, based on the drawing you posted.

    • PP, you are confusing me even more than I had already been.  Does “premises” include the plot of land upon which the field house sits?  I had thought that the phrase was indicating that posters were not allowed to be posted on the walls of the polling place.  Why mention the “entrance” at all in the statute? 

      • ‘Premises’ in my neck of the woods is a 150′ cordon around the entire building.  We even have election day signs, front and back, saying come no closer.

        • You imply that the definition of the term ‘premises’ is arbitrary and up to the town clerk to determine.  In our town that could be the whole high school campus – and believe me, our town clerk would do it if they thought they could get away with it.

          • Premises are land and buildings together considered as a property.

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            Here’s the entire citation : http://en.wikipedia….

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            The word has a specific legal meaning, based upon title deeds, which I think was probably the basis of the law.  So it appears Mr. Galvin was offering good advice as to interpretation.

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            I won’t tell your clerk if you don’t.

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