H 5521

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 6226  FILED ON: 6/11/2026
 HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 5521
  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  _________________
  PRESENTED BY:
  Carmine Lawrence Gentile and James B. Eldridge
  _________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
   Court assembled:
   The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
  An Act providing for recall elections in the town of Sudbury.
  _______________
  PETITION OF:
NAME:  DISTRICT/ADDRESS:  DATE ADDED:
Carmine Lawrence Gentile  13th Middlesex  6/11/2026
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  HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 6226  FILED ON: 6/11/2026
 HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 5521
By Representative Gentile of Sudbury and Senator Eldridge, a joint petition (accompanied by
bill, House, No. 5521) of Carmine Lawrence Gentile (by vote of the town) for legislation to
provide for recall elections in the town of Sudbury. Election Laws. [Local Approval Received.]
  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  _______________
  In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
  (2025-2026)
  _______________
An Act providing for recall elections in the town of Sudbury.
  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the
2 contrary, any holder of an office in the town of Sudbury elected solely by the voters of town may
3 be recalled from that office as provided in this act. However, an initial recall affidavit shall not
4 be filed against an official within 3 months after the official takes office or within the last 6
5 months of the official’s term.
6(b) An initial recall affidavit signed by at least 250 voters may be filed with the Town
7 Clerk. The initial recall affidavit shall contain the name of the official whose recall is sought and
8 a statement of the grounds for recall. If the affidavit is found to contain a sufficient number of
9 verified signatures the Town Clerk shall deliver to the first 20 signers of the affidavit formal
10 numbered and printed recall petition sheets bearing the Town Clerk’s official seal. The petition
11 sheets shall be addressed to the Select Board and demand the recall. The Town Clerk shall
12 ensure that each petition sheet contains the name of the elected official subject to recall, the
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13 names of the first 10 signers of the affidavit, and the grounds for recall as stated in the affidavit.
14 The petition sheets shall be returned to the Town Clerk within 28 days following the date they
15 are issued, signed by at least 10 percent of the total number of persons registered to vote as of the
16 date of the most recent regular town election. The Town Clerk shall within 4 working days
17 submit the petitions to the Board of Registrars which shall within 7 working days certify the
18 number of signatures that are names of registered voters of the town.
19(c) If the recall petition sheets are signed by a sufficient number of registered voters, as
20 certified by the Registrars of Voters, the Town Clerk shall submit the petition and its certification
21 to the Select Board without delay. The Select Board shall within 5 working days, give notice, in
22 writing, of the receipt of the petition to the officer whose recall is sought. If the officer does not
23 resign from the office within 5 working days of the date notice is given by the Select Board, then
24 the Select Board shall promptly order an election to be held not less than 65 nor more than 100
25 days after the date the Town Clerk certified the petition.
26(d) The nomination of candidates, the publication of the warrant for the recall election
27 and the conduct of the recall election shall be in accordance with the laws regulating elections
28 unless otherwise provided in this act.
29(e) Ballots used at the recall election shall sate the proposition in the order indicated:
30For the recall of (name of officer) from the office of ______
31Against the recall of (name of officer) from the office of ______
32Adjacent to each proposition shall be a place to mark a vote. Following the propositions
33 shall appear the word “Candidates” with directions to voters as required by law. Beneath the
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34 word “Candidates” shall appear the names of the candidates arranged as determined by a
35 drawing by lot conducted by the Town Clerk which shall be open to the public. If a majority of
36 the votes cast upon the question of recall is against the recall, the votes for candidates shall be of
37 no legal effect. If a majority of the votes cast is in favor of the recall, the votes for candidates
38 shall be counted and the candidate(s) receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared
39 elected.
40(f) The incumbent shall continue to hold office and to perform its duties until the recall
41 election. If recalled, and not re-elected in the recall election, the officer shall be deemed removed
42 from the office immediately. Under such circumstance, the candidate who receives the highest
43 number of votes shall be elected and serve for the balance of the unexpired term.
44(g) A person who has been recalled from an office or who has resigned from office while
45 a recall petition was pending against them shall not be appointed to any town office within 2
46 years after the recall or resignation.
47SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
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