A question or questions under this clause shall be printed on the official ballot to be used at a regular municipal election, in substantially the following form:
QUESTION 1 (Part 1) Shall the city (or town) vote to accept the applicability of the civil service law and rules to the office of (title of office)? Yes ... No ...
(Part 2) If it is voted to accept the applicability of the civil service law and rules to the office of (title of office), shall the city (or town) vote to provide for the continuance in said office of (name of incumbent), the present incumbent thereof, after passing a qualifying examination? Yes ... No ...
There shall be a separately numbered question for each office to which the acceptance of the applicability of the civil service law and rules is sought under this clause. If more than one such question is to be submitted to the voters of a city or town at any election, such questions shall be printed on the official ballot in alphabetical order according to the surnames of the incumbents of the several offices to which such questions relate.
The civil service law and rules shall be applicable to the office specified in Part 1 of each such question in answer to which the majority of the voters voting thereon vote in the affirmative. If Part 2 of such question is so answered in the affirmative the incumbent of such office at the time of filing such petition shall, if still the incumbent thereof, be subjected by the administrator to a qualifying examination for such office, and if he passes said examination, he shall be deemed to be permanently appointed thereto and to be tenured therein without being required to serve any probationary period. If such incumbent does not pass such qualifying examination, or if a majority of the voters voting on said Part 2 of such question do not vote thereon in the affirmative, such incumbent may continue to serve in said office for the remainder of the term, if any, for which he was appointed, but the civil service law and rules shall not be applicable to such incumbent. The status of any such incumbent shall not be subject to section fifty-six.
Nothing in this clause shall prevent a city or town from acting under section fifty-four.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 31, § 31:53