Article IX, § 1 — Oaths and subscriptions

Every person elected or appointed to either of the places or offices provided in this Constitution, and every person elected, appointed, or commissioned to any judicial, executive, military or other office under this State, shall, before entering on the discharge of the duties of that place or office, take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation: "I, do swear, that I will support the Constitution of the United States and of this State, so long as I shall continue a citizen thereof. So help me God." "I do swear, that I will faithfully discharge, to the best of my abilities, the duties incumbent on me as according to the Constitution and laws of the State. So help me God." Alternative affirmation. Provided, that an affirmation in the above forms may be substituted, when the person shall be conscientiously scrupulous of taking and subscribing an oath. Administration of oaths to Governor, Senators, Representatives, and other officers. The oaths or affirmations shall be taken and subscribed by the Governor before the presiding officer of the Senate, in the presence of both Houses of the Legislature, and by the Senators and Representatives before the Governor, and by the residue of said officers before such persons as shall be prescribed by the Legislature; and whenever the Governor shall not be able to attend during the session of the Legislature to take and subscribe said oaths or affirmations, such oaths or affirmations may be taken and subscribed in the recess of the Legislature before any Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court and provided further that, if the Governor shall be unable to appear and administer the oath to the Senators and Representatives, such oaths shall be administered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court or in the absence of the Chief Justice, by the senior Associate Justice of said Supreme Judicial Court present at the State Capitol on the first day of the term for which said Senators and Representatives shall have been elected.