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Selectmen schedule Feb. 11 public hearing on opting out of local mail‑in voting

2113775 · January 15, 2025

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Summary

At the Jan. 14 meeting the board agreed to schedule a public hearing on Feb. 11 to consider the town clerk’s request to opt out of mailed‑ballot early voting for the upcoming local election. The manager and clerk said the opt‑out would affect only local elections and not state or federal contests; the board noted staffing and cost considerations.

The Board of Selectmen voted Jan. 14 to schedule a public hearing for Feb. 11 on whether to opt out of mailing ballots for the upcoming local election, after a request from Town Clerk Mary Lou Folan.

Town Manager Tony Mazzuco told the board that the hearing would address only mail‑in voting for the local (April) election and would not affect state or federal mail voting. He said past town mailings produced low response rates (roughly 3,000 ballots sent and fewer than 1,000 returned in prior cycles) and led to public confusion about down‑ballot contests; staff also cited printing and postage costs and administrative workload as factors prompting the clerk’s request to schedule a hearing.

Selectmen agreed to schedule the Feb. 11 hearing pursuant to the clerk’s letter and asked the manager and clerk to prepare explanatory materials for voters, including outreach describing application processes for absentee or mailed ballots if the town opts out of a universal mail‑in approach for the local election.

Ending: The Feb. 11 public hearing will be held; the board will take testimony and decide whether to opt out of mail‑in balloting for the April local election. Any decision will affect only local contests, not statewide or federal ballots.