Massachusetts Governor's Council

The Massachusetts Governor's Council (also known as the Executive Council) is a governmental body that provides advice and consent in certain matterssuch as judicial nominations, pardons, and commutationsto the Governor of Massachusetts. Councillors are elected by the general public and their duties are set forth in the Massachusetts Constitution. The Governor's Council has gone through many different formations throughout its history, at times being simply a legal counsel, also serving as provincial magistrates and judges, sometimes acting as an executive in the absence of a Governor, to serving as an upper house of the Massachusetts General Court. Whether going by the name of "Council of Assistants" or Governor's Council, the power of the council has ebbed and flowed; however, it has remained a mainstay in New England politics from the earliest colonial days of Massachusetts Bay. Qualifications Any person seeking to become a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council must meet the following requirements: Be at least eighteen years of age Be a registered voter in Massachusetts Be a Massachusetts resident for at least five years when elected Receive 1,000 signatures from registered voters on nomination papers History The Massachusetts Bay Colony received its first royal charter in 1629, with the founding of Boston, following the arrival in 1630 of Governor John Winthrop and a fleet of principally Puritan settlers. The colony's governance was based on this charter, which included the establishment of a "council of assistants." The assistants were a body of magistrates who not only decided judicial cases, but also played a role in the colony's lawmaking. The assistants were elected by the colony's freemen.