The Braintree Town Council voted unanimously to exercise its opt‑out provision under the Votes Act of 2022 and decline early voting by mail for the November 2025 local election.

Town Clerk Jim Casey told the council the Vote Act of 2022 gives local officials authority to opt in or out of expanded early‑voting options and recommended the council opt out of early voting by mail because of cost and operational burdens. “I am recommending, as I did 2 years ago, that the council opts out of early voting by mail,” Casey said. He told the council the cost of running early voting by mail could “run in the neighborhood of $15,000,” noting postage is “a dollar and 1¢ per envelope.”

Casey said early voting by mail duplicates the absentee‑ballot process and that absentee voting provides similar timeframes for voters to request and return ballots. He also said the town’s Board of Registrars on Jan. 23 met and unanimously declined to recommend opting in for in‑person early voting for the local election, citing historically low turnout in local elections and the availability of absentee voting.

Councilors asked questions and clarified how absentee voting would continue to operate. Councilor Baraka emphasized that voters who cannot reach a polling place on Election Day retain the option to vote by absentee ballot. After brief discussion the council moved, seconded and approved the opt‑out motion; the meeting record shows the vote was unanimous.

What this means: Braintree will not mail early‑vote‑by‑mail ballots as a general early‑voting program for the town’s November local election. The town clerk remains responsible for administering absentee ballots and for all costs associated with election administration.

Clerk Casey and councilors also noted the fiscal impact of the decision: the clerk estimated about $15,000 in additional annual costs if the town had run an early‑vote‑by‑mail program, and he said the town mailed roughly 7,000 early‑vote‑by‑mail ballots for the November election and about 4,200 for the primary in the most recent election cycle, figures he used to illustrate processing and postage burdens.

The council did not change other voting options; absentee ballots remain available under state law. The council’s next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 25.