Mass. Gen. Laws » Part I Title VIII Chapter 53
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 53, § 8 (2026)

Certificates of nomination and nomination papers; contents; party designation

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 8. All certificates of nomination and nomination papers shall, in addition to the names of candidates, specify as to each, (1) his residence, with street and number, if any, (2) the office for which he is nominated, and (3) except as otherwise provided in this section and except for elections which are not preceded by primaries or political party caucuses, the political designation, if any, which he represents, expressed in not more than three words. This information, in addition to the district name or number, if any, shall be specified on the nomination paper before any signature of a purported registered voter is obtained and the circulation of nomination papers without such information is prohibited. Certificates of nomination made by convention or caucus shall also state what provision, if any, was made for filling vacancies caused by the death, withdrawal or ineligibility of candidates. The state committees of the respective political parties at a meeting called for the purpose shall nominate the presidential electors. The surnames of the candidates for president and vice president of the United States shall be added to the party or political designation of the candidates for presidential electors. Such surnames and a list of the persons nominated for presidential electors, together with an acceptance in writing signed by each candidate for presidential elector on a form to be provided by the state secretary, shall be filed by the state chairmen of the respective political parties not later than the second Tuesday of September. Said acceptance form shall include a pledge by the presidential elector to vote for the candidate named in the filing. To the name of each candidate for alderman at large shall be added the number of the ward in which he resides. To the name of a candidate for a town office who is an elected incumbent thereof there may be added the words ''Candidate for Re-election''.

If a candidate is nominated otherwise than by a political party the name of a political party shall not be used in his political designation nor shall the name of any organization which has been adjudicated subversive under section eighteen of chapter two hundred and sixty-four be used in his political designation. Certificates of nomination and nomination papers for city or town offices need not include a designation of the party which the candidate represents. Except in the case of nomination papers of candidates for offices to be filled by all the voters of the commonwealth, or of candidates for town offices and the office of regional district school committee member elected district-wide, no nomination papers shall contain the name of more than one candidate. Such nomination papers for candidates for governor and lieutenant governor shall contain provision for the names and addresses of members of a committee of five registered voters who shall fill any vacancy caused by death, withdrawal, ineligibility or disqualification of either candidate. Such nomination papers for town offices may contain the names of candidates for any or all of the offices to be filled at the town election, but the number of names of candidates on such paper for any one office shall not exceed the number to be elected thereto.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8 cases, 1959–2020 · leading case: Libertarian Ass'n v. Sec'y of Commonwealth, 969 N.E.2d 1095 (Mass. 2012).
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Libertarian Ass'n v. Sec'y of Commonwealth, 969 N.E.2d 1095 (Mass. 2012). · cites it 6× “4 G. L. c. 53, § 8, first par. This certificate must include the names and residences of the selected presidential electors, along with a written acceptance and pledge by each to vote for the candidates for the presidency and vice-presidency named in the filing.”
Bachrach v. Sec'y of the Commonwealth, 415 N.E.2d 832 (Mass. 1981). · cites it 7× “G.L.c. 53, § 8. [3] The same rule held for the designation of an Independent *270 candidate on the ballot, if he qualified to appear there.”
Lyman v. Baker, 954 F.3d 351 (1st Cir. 2020). “54, § 43 , and it binds electors to vote for the chosen candidate by statute, see Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 53, § 8 (requiring presidential electors to "pledge .”
Libertarian Party of New Hampshire v. Gardner, 638 F.3d 6 (1st Cir. 2011). “”); Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 53 § 8 (“If a candidate is nominated otherwise than by a political party the name of a political party shall not be used in his political designation .”
Lyman v. Baker, 352 F. Supp. 3d 81 (D.D.C. 2018). “See Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 53, § 8 (requiring presidential electors to "pledge .”
Teixeira v. Bd. of Election Commissioners, 287 N.E.2d 606 (Mass. 1972). · cites it 6× “1 The board ruled that, because each of the plaintiff’s papers contained the word “Communist,” the General Laws, particularly G. L. c. 53, § 8, and G. L. c. 50, § 1, required the board to refuse to accept the papers.”
Galluccio v. Election Commissioners, 161 N.E.2d 608 (Mass. 1959). “G. L. c. 53, § 8, as amended through St. 1957, c.”
Goldstein v. Sec'y of the Commonwealth (Mass. 2020). “See G. L. c. 53, § 8. The candidates, or others working on their behalf, must then gather voter signatures on the nomination papers or on "exact copies" of such forms.”
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