Number 31
I voted this morning in the Boston Primary Election. We have a semi-old-fashioned “fill in the box on the ballot card” voting system that worked perfectly well. It turns out I was the 31st voter today for my precinct, which means either I got up pretty early or there aren’t that many people voting in the primary.
As I approached the polling location, I was accosted by supporters of about six or seven candidates, making a last minute pitch for their guy (I didn’t see anyone lobbying for the female candidates, unfortunately). I have some vague recollection about laws restricting lobbying near the vooting booth, but apparently in boston it’s okay up to about 3 inches from the entrance to the building.
Rob Consalvo, our district councilor, was also handing out pens by the polling place, although there is no primary election for his seat. I asked him if he was endorsing anyone, and he said, “officially, no,” but then told me everyone he liked… which ended up being a good deal more than you can actually vote for.
The most moving plea was from an older lady: “Vote for my son, Ed Flynn, he’s a veteran!” (Ed Flynn is one of the few conservatives in the race. He also has no website.) I told her I would, but I lied.
Mark Jones Jan 28
MGL Chapter 54 Section 65
Whoever posts, exhibits, circulates or distributes any poster, card, handbill, placard, picture or circular intended to influence the action of a voter, or any paster to be placed upon the official ballot, in violation of any provision of this section, shall be punished by a fine of not more than twenty dollars.
Mark Jones Jan 28
Here’s the correctect part of MGL Chapter 54, Section 65.
150 Feet from the polling place is the relevant item.
Here’s the quote:
…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. In
Adam Rosi-Kessel Jan 28
So it sounds like oral entreatment is okay? People had stickers, but they didn’t appear to actually be handing them out.
Mark Jones Jan 28
It sure appears to be completely focused on printed materials and signature gathering. There’s a section that permits police to generally keep order around polling places. There does appear there’s no specific directive to prevent oral influence within the 150 foot boundry, so on first reading (without looking at case law) oral regulation could be intrepreted as discretionary to the police. (Yes, I’m not a lawyer.)
Mark Jones Jan 28
It sure appears to be completely focused on printed materials and signature gathering. There’s a section that permits police to generally keep order around polling places. There does appear there’s no specific directive to prevent oral influence within the 150 foot boundry, so on first reading (without looking at case law) oral regulation could be intrepreted as discretionary to the police. (Yes, I’m not a lawyer.)