Tewksbury Board Reschedules Annual Town Election May 16

Press release from the Town of Tewksbury:

The Tewksbury Board of Selectmen voted to reschedule the April 4, 2020 Annual Town Election to Saturday, May 16, 2020.

The new voter registration deadline is Wednesday, May 6, 2020. The ballot remain unchanged. Any absentee ballots already received or returned for this election will still be valid. If you have already received your absentee ballot, you do not need a new one.

Under the Massachusetts Constitution, absentee ballots are available for all elections to voters who are disabled, out of town on Election Day, or have a religious belief preventing them from voting at their polling place.

A new law has been passed clarifying that any person taking precaution related to COVID-19 in response to a declared state of emergency or from guidance from a medical professional, local or state health official, or any civil authority shall be deemed to be unable by reason of physical disability to cast their vote in person at a polling location.

You qualify for an absentee ballot due to physical disability if:

• You are ill;
• You are confined to your home because you may transmit infection; or
• You cannot leave your home because you are a member of a population vulnerable to illness;
• You are staying in your home or avoiding your polling place as a precautionary measure in response to COVID-19.

The law has also been updated to allow early voting by mail for any election held on or before June 30th. Early voting by mail is similar to absentee voting, but unlike absentee voting, no excuse is required.

Applications for absentee ballots are available to be downloaded and printed, but you may also request an absentee ballot by writing a letter to your clerk's office, if you do not have access to a printer. Be sure to include your name and address, the election(s) for which you are requesting a ballot, and your signature. If you need the ballot mailed somewhere other than your home, be sure to provide that address.

Early ballot applications are available for upcoming local and special elections now. As with absentee ballot applications, any written request is acceptable. Completed absentee and early ballot applications must be submitted to the Town Clerk’s Office.

Applications may be mailed: Town Clerk, 1009 Main Street, Tewksbury, MA 01876

Hand Delivered: to the drop box outside the main entrance to Town Hall

Faxed: 978-851-8610

or Emailed: townclerk@tewksbury-ma.gov

If you are emailing your application, you must be able to send an image of the application as an attachment, either by scanning it or by taking a picture of it. A hand-written signature must be visible.

All mail-in ballots must be returned to the Town Clerk’s Office by the close of polls on May 16, 2020 – a postmark is not sufficient. Absentee ballots may be mailed or hand-delivered by a family member. Please be sure to allow enough time for the mailing of your application and your ballot.

This press release was produced by the Town of Tewksbury. The views expressed here are the author’s own.