Massachusetts. State Ballot Law Commission.

In 1890 the legislature mandated that any objections concerning nomination of state officials be brought before a board consisting of the secretary of the Commonwealth, the attorney general, and three other persons called ballot-law commissioners, who were appointed by the governor for one-year terms; they were to be from different political parties and to serve without pay (St 1890, c 436, s 5). Previously such questions had been handled by the secretary of the Commonwealth, the auditor, and the attorney general (St 1889, c 413, s 7). (The responsibility for decisions concerning city and town nominations was in the hands of each local board of registrars of voters, along with the city clerk and the city solicitor).

St 1892, c 406 designated the 1890 board as the Ballot Law Commission and authorized nominal payment to its members. It added the judicial powers to hold hearings, to summon and pay witnesses for testimony, and to require written reports to be presented as testimony at the hearings.

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