Natick 2020 Town Election: What You Need To Know

NATICK, MA — It's going to be an unusual election — this time that's not due to politics, but because of the pandemic.

Natick's spring town election will take place Tuesday following delays related to the coronavirus pandemic. Polls will be open for most of the day (although for slightly less time than usual), but the Town Clerk has been advising residents to vote absentee due to the lingering coronavirus pandemic.

Here's what you need to know about the June 30 Natick election:

Voting hours

You'll have slightly less time to vote this year. Polls across the town will be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., as opposed to the usual 7 a.m. start time.

Polling locations

Precincts 1 and 3 — Brown Elementary School, 1 Jean Burke Drive
Precinct 2 — Cole Center, 179 Boden Lane
Precincts 4 and 5 — Wilson Middle School, 22 Rutledge Road
Precinct 6 — Lilja Elementary School, 41 Bacon St.
Precinct 8 — Morse Institute Library, 14 East Central St.
Precincts 7, 9 and 10 — Community Senior Center, 117 East Central St.

Who's on the ballot

There are no contested races in the 2020 election, which means that everyone on the ballot running for elected office will win their seat.

There are, however, lots of Town Meeting seats up for election this year, including many write-in slots. In Precinct 1, for example, there are 10 seats, but only candidate Stuart Zimmerman's name will be on the ballot. In District 6, resident Kristen Pope has mounted a write-in campaign for a Town Meeting seat, although nine people are already on the ballot for six open seats in that precinct. You can see each precinct's Town Meeting candidates on the Town Clerk website.

Candidate profiles

Way back in February, Patch asked candidates to fill out questionnaires about why they're running in 2020. Here are the Natick candidates we heard back from:

• Natick 2020 Election Profile: Karen Adelman-Foster For Selectman
• Natick 2020 Election Profile: Michael Hickey For Selectman
• 2020 Natick Election Profile: Shai Fuxman For School Committee

Ballot questions

There will be two ballot questions before voters on Tuesday. The first deals with participation in Town Meeting. A yes vote would allow non-members to make motions at Town Meeting, but not vote, along with other language changes.

The second question asks voters to officially rename the Board of Selectmen "Select Board." It also makes language gender neutral in other area places — like "Select Board members."

Voting absentee

Don't want to go to the polls on Tuesday because of coronavirus? Pretty much anyone can vote absentee this year including people who are sick, people who are in quarantine, and people who are just concerned about being in public during a pandemic.

You can download an absentee application on the town website and email it to the Town Clerk townclerk@natickma.org) or mail it to town hall. Call the Town Clerk at 508-647-6430, extension 4, to talk to someone about absentee voting.