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Date: 4/22/2020
HILLTOWNS – In an unprecedented move during these unprecedented times, the southern hilltowns have begun to announce rescheduled dates for town elections, annual town meetings, or both. Decisions on the new dates, usually held from late April to early June, are in some cases still being made.
Montgomery
The town of Montgomery’s Board of Selectmen has set the town’s annual election date for May 19, which coincides with the new date for the special Senate election to fill the vacant seat formerly held by Westfield Mayor Donald F. Humason Jr.
According to Board of Selectmen Chairman Michael Morrissey, the decision to combine the town’s annual election with the state election was made to minimize the number of times towns voters will be required to have potential exposure to the Covid-19 virus through public contact.
“The selectmen identified the strong level of participation from our town’s elderly during voting events and worked to address concerns associated with protecting our most vulnerable population. The town is taking additional steps to ensure the voting site will be cleaned prior to opening and maintained safe during the polling hours of operation to protect the voters and the poll workers,” said Morrissey.
The Board of Selectmen also set the date for Montgomery’s annual town meeting for June 15 at 7 p.m.
“This date is a change from the third Monday in May, as outlined in Montgomery’s by-laws governing annual town meetings. The Board of Selectmen utilized the authorization from the recent Municipal Governance Legislation enacted by Gov. [Charlie] Baker during the public health emergency to make the change. The Board of Selectmen is working closely with the town clerk Judith Murphy to make sure voters are aware of the changes and is developing plans to send out reminders in the mail as the dates get closer.” Morrissey said.
Morrissey said voters wishing absentee ballots may call the town clerk’s office at 862-3386, ext. 3.
Blandford
Due to the COVID-19 shutdown, the town of Blandford has moved the town meeting and town elections to June, and the last day to register to vote has also been extended, according to Town Administrator Joshua Garcia.
Garcia said although as of April 17, Blandford has had no reported cases of COVID-19, the Board of Health is monitoring the MAVEN alert system. “The Emergency Management Team will share the information with the public, so folks are aware,” he said.
The last day to register to vote at both the Annual Town Meeting and Annual Town Election in Blandford has been extended to June 2 from 2 to 4 p.m., and from 7 to 8 p.m.
The Informational Meeting of the Finance Committee – also known as the “Mini Town Meeting” – will take place on June 8, to go over the proposed budget that will be presented at the Annual Town Meeting.
The Annual Town Meeting will take place on June 22, beginning at 7 p.m. The warrant articles for the Annual Town Meeting and Annual Elections will be posted one week earlier on June 15.
The Annual Town Election will take place on June 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Garcia said if there are any questions regarding these important dates, contact the Blandford Town Clerk’s office at 848-4279, ext. 203 or townclerk@townofblandford.com.
Huntington
No decision had been made by the Board of Selectmen as of April 19 concerning dates for the Annual Town Meeting, generally held the first Monday in June, according to Interim Town Clerk Linda Hamlin.
Hamlin said that although the town was given the option to move the date of the Town Election from May 16 to sometime prior to June 30, both the Board of Selectmen and she didn’t feel it was worth the “potential confusion to townspeople to do that, given that the COVID-19 situation is so fluid.”
The Town Election will therefore be held as scheduled for May 16, “probably from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.” she said, although the hours had not been definitively set.
Hamlin said she is in the middle of drafting safety protocols for voters, including mandatory wearing of masks and gloves, and no more than three voters in the building at a time with election workers.
Residents may also vote in the election by early or absentee ballot, applications for which are on the town website at huntingtonma.us.
Hamlin said early voting started the last week of March and will end on Election Day and can be done by mail. “Both the expanded dates and the availability of mail-in Early Voting are COVID-19 specific expansions to the normal regulations,” she said, adding that Absentee ballot regulations have also been expanded.
Completed applications may be mailed to Town Clerk, PO Box 453, Huntington, MA. 01050.
Other towns have also posted changes in the dates for municipal elections and annual town meetings.
Chester
On April 14, the Select Board voted to move the Town Election to Saturday, June 13, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The board also encouraged voters to take advantage of absentee voting. Contact the Town Clerk at 354-6603 for more information about absentee ballots.
Granville
The Special State Election for the Second Hampden and Hampshire District will be held on May 19, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Town Hall. The Selectboard postponed the town election, but had not set a date for rescheduling as of April 20, according to Town Administrator Matthew Streeter.
“The town clerk hopes it would be the same date as the special election and that may be so. There is a very real possibility that the special election may again be postponed if the governor extends the limiting of social gatherings beyond May 4,” Streeter said.
Early voting ballot applications are available to download or print on the state website at www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/, and may be returned to Town Clerk, 707 Main Road, PO Box 247, Granville, MA 01034.
Streeter said the town meeting has not been postponed yet, but it is anticipated that a vote on postponement will come at the next Selectboard meeting.
Otis
The Annual Town Caucus has been postponed to May 20 from 7 to 8 p.m. Registered voters can cast their ballot to nominate candidates for the Annual Town Election ballot.
The Town Election has been moved to June 30 with no changes to polling hours, by a vote of the Board of Selectmen on April 14.