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Election-Day Voting

November 3, 2020

ELECTION-DAY VOTING

The Presidential Election is anticipated to have a higher level of participation than many other elections.  To safely accommodate this volume under COVID conditions, a plan has been designed to direct voters to enter the Hall only through the east-side entrance by the main parking area.  Parking on the west-side lot will be cordoned off.  Voters entering the Church driveway from Rt. 62 must continue straight past the Church and Hall to the rear of the building and then into the east-side main parking area closest to the Hall voting entrance.  Once inside the foyer, voters will keep to their right and continue in one direction down the length of the rear hallway to the end and then back up to the foyer area while maintaining proper distancing, which will be identified at 6-foot intervals with cones, tape and other markings.  Election Staff will monitor and assist voters in directing them to their precinct entrance and limiting the number of voters who enter each polling precinct to the limited number of available voting booths.

Both the west-side and rear entrances to the Church Hall will remain locked in order to prevent cross-over and overcrowding of voters in the foyer; however these doors will still be functional as emergency exits.  Handicapped parking will be temporarily marked at the parking area directly in front of the east-side voting entrance to the Hall.   A diagram of the plan can be viewed here. 

A Polling Place is considered an “influence-free zone.”  Under GL c.54, sec. 65: 

“At an election of state or city officers, and of town officers in towns where official ballots are used, the presiding election officer at each polling place shall, before the opening of the polls, post at least three cards of instruction … ; and no other poster, card, handbill, placard, picture or circular intended to influence the action of the voter shall be posted, exhibited, circulated or distributed in the polling place, in the building where the polling place is located, on the walls thereof, on the premises on which the building stands, or within one hundred and fifty feet of the building entrance door to such polling place…”

Accordingly, there can be no distribution or display on any person or attire of any type of election paraphernalia specific to candidates or questions on this ballot.  Articles such as hats, shirts, jackets, buttons, decals, stickers, jewelry, face masks, or any other items which reference either directly by name or indirectly by slogan an affiliation with a candidate or question on this ballot are PROHIBITED. 
  • Voters who have any such items displayed on their person or clothing will be required to cover or remove such items prior to entering the Polling Place.   

Electronic Poll Pads will once again be used to check-in voters on Election-day in tandem with paper voting lists.  A Driver’s License will provide a more direct check-in, but is NOT required.  Voters may either place their driver’s license on the Poll Pad tray with the barcode facing UP, or the voter may simply state their name and address at the check-in table.  The driver’s license is not used for ID purposes, but merely to provide a direct way to display the voter’s name and address on the Poll Pad.   After marking their ballot, voters will check-out before depositing their ballot in the tabulator.  Ballots should always be inserted into the tabulator gently – not forcefully; secrecy sleeves will be available but not required; the ballot may be inserted in any direction. 

Health and safety protocols issued under the Governor's Order, as well as by our local Public Health and Safety Officials, will be observed for the safety and protection of all Election staff, as well as all the voters.
  • If you are ill or have a fever -- please stay home.
  • If you have unexplained chills, cough, sore throat, muscle pain, shortness of breath or new loss of taste or smell -- please stay home.
  • Please wear a mask, bandana, scarf or other facial covering that covers your nose and mouth before entering the polling place and do not remove until exiting the polls (exception for medical conditions). 
    • If you do not have a mask, one will be provided.
    • A face shield is not a substitute for a mask.
    • Unmasked voters will be escorted to an isolated voting booth for the protection of others.
  • Please respect  6' distancing at all times -- distancing must be observed both in waiting lines as well as within the polling area. 

Persons who do not follow these protocols are placing others at risk, who may in turn unknowingly expose their own family members or other persons.  These safety measures have been shown to be effective in curbing the spread of COVID-19, and we will be expecting all persons to adhere to them for the greater safety of all.   

In order to expedite voting on Election Day, please prepare ahead:
  • Vote during mid-day hours to avoid the largest gatherings.  Busiest voting periods tend to be between 7:00 am – 9:00 am and again from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. 
  • Know your Precinct.  Street Directories will be posted and Election Staff Monitors will assist you, but you can also find your Precinct ahead at:  www.WhereDoIVoteMA.com.
  • Review the ballot before you go to the Polls to minimize your time at the Polls.  The Offices and candidates are on the front of the ballot and two questions are on the back.  Specimen ballots will be posted in the Hall.
  • Check your voter status ahead.  Inactive voters will be required to sign an “Affidavit of Current and Continuous Residency” AND provide an ID which indicates the voter’s registered name and voting address – be prepared with a Driver’s License, car registration, utility bill or other ID which indicates your name and voting address.
In order to minimize exposures:
  • Please wear a mask or other facial covering – a face shield is NOT a substitute for a mask.
  • All Election staff will be wearing masks and may have gloves and face shields, as well.
  • Plexi-glass shields will be in place for protection between voters and Election staff.
  • Each Precinct polling area will be configured to maximize distancing between voters, with limited booths in each Precinct and only 2 voting compartments available in each booth;
    • This will limit the number of voters at all times; please be patient. 
  • Voting booths will be wiped-down periodically with sanitizing wipes or spray.
  • In order to prevent cross-contamination, a disposable pencil will be offered to each voter at the check-in table together with their ballot:
    • No ballot marking pens will be in the booths;
    • Alternatively a voter may bring their own black or blue pen to mark their ballot; 
      • No permanent markers, please – they will bleed through the ballot;
    • The tabulators can read black, blue or hard lead pencil markings, but no other colors; 
  • After marking their ballot, the voter will go directly to the Check-out Clerk and provide their street address and name, and then cast their ballot into the tabulator for their precinct.
  • After casting their ballot, the voter must immediately exit the polling area through the rear exit doors:
    • No lingering or socializing will be permitted within the polling area;
    • ALL voters will exit through the rear door;
    • Voters with accessibility issues will be escorted to the exit door and their vehicle if they require assistance.
  • In order to avoid cross-contamination, "I Voted" stickers will NOT be available at the Check-out. 
  • A trash receptacle will be located by the rear exit doors to dispose of the pencil and any PPE that the voter wishes to leave behind;
    • Please discard all items in this trash receptacle only and NOT on Church property.
These precautions are necessary to provide a safe voting environment, and for the protection of all voters and the Election staff, to the greatest extent possible. Please also recognize that all of the Election staff at Early Voting and on Election-day have volunteered to assist for this Election -- they are willing to be at the polls to provide voters with the opportunity to vote in-person. Please respect all of these necessary precautions for their safety as much as your own, and please be sure to thank them for their willingness to serve you -- the voter -- under these challenging circumstances.
 
If you are returning a mailed ballot, it must be received at the Town Clerk’s Office by 8:00 pm on Election evening -- Tuesday, November 3rd.  The Ballot Drop Box will be checked one final time at 8:00 pm and the chute will be locked.  Ballots delivered after 8:00 pm will be deemed too late for counting.  Mailed-in ballots must be postmarked by November 3rd and received in the Town Clerk’s Office by 5:00 pm on November 6th.
Returned ballots cannot be accepted at the Polls – they must be received at the Town Clerk’s Office by 8:00 pm.  Ballots received between November 3rd and November 6th cannot be counted until after 5:00 pm on November 6th or at a later date within the State deadline for certification of Election results. 
 

Thank you for your understanding and anticipated compliance with these procedures, in order to provide a safe voting experience for everyone.   Whether you vote in-person early or at the polls on Election Day, we will look forward to assisting you.