All three Tri-Town communities have postponed their annual elections. While two of those towns have officially rescheduled, the one that has not officially rescheduled (Marion) has rolled out the most detailed plan for its election, with Marion Town Clerk Lissa Magauran adapting a voting model originated by Egremont Town Clerk Juliette Hass.
In customizing a Town of Marion Annual Town Election COVID-19 Contingency Plan, every imaginable detail involved in executing a state-mandated, annual town election during a declared State of Emergency in response to the coronavirus pandemic is addressed. Voters do not need to understand every jot of the plan, but it is clear that the Tri-Town communities are treating some form of Absentee balloting with more than the usual tolerance. Mail-in voting is being overtly encouraged.
Either Absentee or Early Voting methods as defined by state law will be enabled, but social-distancing advisories render over-the-counter service at town offices prior to the election suspended until Governor Baker opens up the state for business as usual. If the governor does reopen the state on May 18, town halls will greet visitors with a new look designed to limit the spread of germs.
It is expected that by the end of its Tuesday, May 19, Board of Selectmen meeting, Marion will make Friday, June 26, official as its election date of choice, joining Mattapoisett (Tuesday, June 16) and Rochester (Wednesday, June 17).
All three municipalities plan to hold Town Meeting on Monday, June 22. Marion’s date is not yet official, but discussion at recent meetings indicates the clock only continues ticking at this point, the same way a football coach lets the seconds run down to a game-deciding field goal.
It is explained in Marion’s plan that “Friday, June 26, 2020… was chosen to provide maximum separation in time from the anticipated surge of COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts (currently 69,087 per Mass DPH) and to meet the deadline to hold a municipal election by June 30, 2020. Holding the election on a Friday will provide 2.5 days for any virus introduced into the polling location to become inactive before the following work week.”
Every voter registered in Marion will be mailed an Early Voting Application, according to the plan. If a voter has not received an Early Voting Application, he or she can request an application for a mail-in absentee or early ballot no later than Friday, May 15, via the town email list, Marion Facebook Forum or at marionma.gov.
As early as April 1, Town Clerk Catherine Heuberger said Mattapoisett was capable of moving forward with its then-May 19 election date (now June 16 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm at Old Hammondtown School).
Mattapoisett’s website, mattapoisett.net, posts on election procedures and says “voters concerned about the public health situation can cite that as a reason to request an absentee ballot for the Annual Town Election.” Mattapoisett voters can acquire absentee ballots by visiting sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/absentee/English-Absentee-Ballot-Application.pdf. Once voters have returned ballots to the Heuberger’s office, their votes will be counted on election day by poll workers.
Rochester Town Clerk Paul Dawson is actually on the ballot while acting in an interim capacity since the retirement of longtime town clerk Naida Parker early this year. It also happens that Rochester is the only one of the Tri-Town communities with a question on its ballot, that question being if voters wish to make town clerk an appointed rather than elected position.
Dawson, meanwhile, has a complex election to run and on the town’s website, townofrochester.com, has encouraged remote access voting in keeping with the wishes of the town’s Board of Selectmen.
While absentee balloting in Rochester is still confined to traditional reasons (i.e. schedule hardship, disability or religious beliefs), early voting is a method being encouraged so as to avoid crowding the polls. Any registered Rochester voter may choose early voting “to ensure that their vote is counted without the need to assemble in groups on Election Day. We encourage voters to consider early voting to ensure a safe and healthy experience.” Early voting applications are available on the town website, and ballots will be mailed out to those filling out and returning the application. Ballots must be returned before the polls close on Election Day.
From more absentee ballots to fewer poll workers, the expansion of early voting and voters using their own pens, there has always been a contingency plan brewing amidst the threat of the coronavirus.
The Tri-Town communities have talked about wiping voting booths with disinfectants between every usage, stationing hand sanitizers for voters, and personal protective equipment (PPE) for poll workers including masks, shields, and gloves.
State law requires that polling places must remain open for at least four hours on the designated day of an election. While Mattapoisett polls will be open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Rochester is still posting 8:00 am to 8:00 pm at the Rochester Senior Center, 67 Dexter Lane, and Marion plans to scheduled polling hours from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm at the Cushing Community Center. The hope is longer hours will translate into more protective space between voters and election workers.
Traditionally, there is a lot that goes into holding an election, and this year not limited to special strategies to most effectively limit the spread of the coronavirus via wearing of masks, proper spacing inside and outside the polling place.
After polls close in Marion, the town clerk will secure the cast ballots. Only the candidates and the media will be present when the election warden announces preliminary results that will also be posted on the town website and emailed to media outlets.
For more information, visit town websites, marionma.gov, mattapoisett.net, and townofrochester.com.