Clerks Name deMacedo Legislator of the Year

DeMacedo played a substantial role in guiding the Unenrolled Voter Bill through the legislature in 2005, which allows voters registered without a party affiliation to participate in a presidential party primary election to remain unenrolled. At this year’s presidential primary, this law saved voters from having to fill out unnecessary party change cards after casting their ballots. It also saved clerks from having to process thousands of forms for voters who wished to maintain their unenrolled status. And it saved each town thousands of dollars in labor costs.

DeMacedo is the sponsor of several bills before the current legislature session, including a proposal to eliminate the check-out table at elections, which would free one or more poll workers per precinct. He has worked closely with the town clerks to improve legislative proposals concerning election day registration.

Laurence Pizer, Plymouth’s town clerk, introduced deMacedo at the annual meeting of the clerks’ association and praised him as a gentleman and an effective legislator. In his acceptance speech deMacedo thanked the clerks, singling out Mary Lou Murzyn, clerk of his former hometown of Kingston, as he recognized the important work of individual town clerks and of the Massachusetts Town Clerks’ Association