Historic Newton Throwback: More Than Three Centuries of Elections

As Newton residents prepare to elect a new mayor and several other local officials on November 7, it’s interesting to reflect on how our municipal elections have changed over time. Newton was part of Cambridge until 1688, when it became a separate town. At that time, citizens “of a competent estate” of at least twenty pounds could vote at the town meeting. In 1873, Newton became a city and elected its first mayor. At that time, the mayor’s term of office was only one year long. Newton held municipal elections for more than 200 years before women gained the right to vote in 1920. Voters elected Adelaide Ball (pictured, center, taking out her nomination papers) as the first woman to serve on the Board of Aldermen (since renamed the City Council) in 1953, leading the way for many other Newton women to serve in local and state government.