Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 56, § 42 (2026)

False statements relating to candidates or questions submitted to voters

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 42. No person shall make or publish, or cause to be made or published, any false statement in relation to any candidate for nomination or election to public office, which is designed or tends to aid or to injure or defeat such candidate.

No person shall publish or cause to be published in any letter, circular, advertisement, poster or in any other writing any false statement in relation to any question submitted to the voters, which statement is designed to affect the vote on said question.

Whoever knowingly violates any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 5 cases, 1973–2015 · leading case: Rickert v. Pub. Disclosure Comm'n, 161 Wash. 2d 843 (Wash. 2007).

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Rickert v. Pub. Disclosure Comm'n, 161 Wash. 2d 843 (Wash. 2007). · cites it 2× “Six of these laws require the person to act “knowingly,” see Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 56, § 42 (West); N.”

Commonwealth v. Lucas, 34 N.E.3d 1242 (Mass. 2015). “This case concerns the constitutionality of G. L. c. 56, § 42 (§ 42), which criminalizes certain false statements about political candidates or questions submitted to voters.”

Vanasco v. Schwartz, 401 F. Supp. 87 (E.D.N.Y 1976). “Codes, Rules & Regulations § 6201.1 (1974); N.C.Gen. Stat.”

Opinion of the Justices to the Senate, 298 N.E.2d 829 (Mass. 1973). “Each newspaper or other publication would have to devote particular attention to its statutory obligation not to publish “false statements” (G. L. c. 56, § 42) and would not be completely immune from libel suits.”

Jobs First Indep. Expenditure Political Action Comm. v. Coakley, 66 F. Supp. 3d 253 (D. Mass. 2014). · cites it 6× “M.G.L. c. 56, § 42 In 1946, M.G.L. c. 56, § 42 was enacted by the Massachusetts legislature and became law.”

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