Tewksbury Coronavirus: Annual Town Election Delayed To May 16

TEWKSBURY, MA — Tewksbury's annual town election is rescheduled to Saturday, May 16. The Board of Selectmen voted Tuesday to postpone the election, originally set for April 4, due to coronavirus. The ballot remains unchanged.

State legislation was passed Monday allowing municipalities to postpone elections due to coronavirus.

The legislation allows people to vote by absentee due to concern about the virus and for towns to offer no excuse early voting by mail. Absentee ballots already received or returned for the election remain valid, Town Clerk Denise Graffeo said in an announcement.

>>Ten File To Run In 2020 Tewksbury Town Election

>>MA Coronavirus: Towns Can Delay Local Elections

The new voter registration deadline is Wednesday, May 6, 2020.

According to Graffeo's announcement, the following reasons qualify for absentee voting:

• "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."

Graffeo's announcement continues below:

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.

Latest coronavirus coverage in Massachusetts:

On First Full Day Of Shutdown, Massachusetts Awaits Aid
Coronavirus Leaves Small Businesses Facing Murky Future
Shutdown Forces Breweries To Get Creative
Closed Cannabis Dealers Will Make Hand Sanitizer
James, Kim Taylor Donate $1M To Hospital

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.