Any person desiring to be a write-in candidate for any state, district or municipal office to be filled at any regular election shall register his candidacy with the Secretary of the State on a form prescribed by the Secretary. The registration shall include the candidate's name and address, the designation and term of the office sought, a statement of consent to the candidacy, and any other information which the Secretary deems necessary. In the case of a write-in candidacy for the office of Governor or Lieutenant Governor, the registration shall include a candidate for each of those offices, or shall be void. The registration shall not include a designation of any political party. The registration shall be filed with the Secretary not more than ninety days prior to the election at which the office is to be filled and not later than four o'clock p.m. on the fourteenth day preceding the election, or the registration shall be void. No person nominated for an office by a major or minor party or by nominating petition shall register as a write-in candidate for that office under the provisions of this section, and any registration of a write-in candidacy filed by such a person shall be void. Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, any person desiring to be a write-in candidate for the municipal office of town meeting member in any town having a representative town meeting which has seventy-five or more members shall register his candidacy with the town clerk of such town not later than the last business day preceding such election. A person may register as a write-in candidate for a district or municipal office if such person's name appears on the last-completed registry list of the district or municipality represented by such office, as the case may be. A person may register as a write-in candidate for a state office if such person's name appears on the last-completed registry list of the state.
(P.A. 83-475, S. 1, 43; P.A. 87-382, S. 52, 55; P.A. 15-224, S. 14.)
History: P.A. 87-382 added notwithstanding sentence re write-in candidates for municipal office of town meeting member in towns having a representative town meeting which has at least 75 members; P.A. 15-224 added requirements for district and municipal offices that name of candidate appear on last-completed registry list of district or municipality represented by such office and for state offices that name of candidate appear on last-completed registry list of state, effective January 1, 2016.