During a joint session, members of the House and Senate adopted an order creating a joint committee to canvass votes for executive counselors and received a formal transmission of certified election returns from William Francis Garland, secretary of the Commonwealth.

The clerk read an order received from the Senate “that a joint committee consisting of members of the senate and the house of representatives be appointed for the purpose of canvassing the votes for executive counselors.” The chair then appointed “Mister Stanley of Waltham, Miss Howard of Lowell, and Mister Viera of Falmouth” to serve on the committee. The question on adoption was called and, according to the record, “the ayes have it” and the order was adopted.

The clerk also read a communication from William Francis Garland transmitting “the return of votes cast at the election held in this Commonwealth on the 5th day of November 2024 for the councils and the several districts together with schedule showing number of ballots, which are appear to have been cast for each person voted for.” Garland’s message said the returns “have been duly canvassed by the governor and council and are now transmitted for examination by the Senate and House of Representatives as required by the constitution.”

After the appointments and the reading of returns, the joint session proceeded with its business and later adjourned by motion, according to the transcript.

The committee appointment begins the formal legislative step of canvassing the transmitted returns; the canvass is the procedural review of certified results so the legislature can proceed with any required actions related to those elections.