Photo: Election workers at Precinct 5.
Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman told the Belmontonian Wednesday that she anticipates by next Tuesday’s deadline there will be at least a dozen candidates seeking the 12 three-year Town Meeting Member seats up for grabs in each precinct at April’s Town Election.
Well, all the precincts except Precinct 7, Belmont’s perennial laggard when it comes to residents running for Town Meeting. And this year the numbers are disappointing by even 7’s minimum standards.
With 15 seats (12 three-year members and three one-year members) up for grabs in Precinct 7 – located in western Belmont abutting the Cambridge city limits – so far only five incumbents are seeking re-election and three residents have been out nomination paper, leaving nearly half the seats wanting of a candidate.
The lack of people running could result in almost a majority of seats being won by just a handful of write-in votes.
That’s not the case in neighboring Precinct 8 where nine incumbents are running while eight residents have taken out nomination papers so voters will have 17 residents to vote for 12 seats.
The same volume of candidates is being seen in Precinct 1 where nine residents want to keep their Town Meeting seats as nine registered voters have taken out papers.
So if anyone in Precinct 7 would like to make a quick decision to run for one of those open seats, here is what you have to do:
To be considered a new candidate for Town Meeting Member, you must be at least 18 years old and a registered Belmont voter. If you are currently serving as a Town Meeting Member, who was elected at a caucus, not by Town ballot, you will need to submit nomination papers as a new candidate.
Signatures of at least 25 registered voters of your precinct are required on the nomination papers. The Town Clerk must certify these signatures, so we always suggest obtaining about 20 percent more just to be safe. Deadline is 5 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 16.
Election Workers Still Needed
The town continues to seek residents who would like to serve as election workers who will properly staff the town’s eight polling locations.
Applicants must be registered to vote in Belmont. Training is provided in advance of every election: You’ll learn how elections work.
Poll workers earn $10 per hour. Typically there are two shifts on Election Day: 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 1 p.m. to approximately 9 p.m. Workers are not required to work every election – you let us know which dates & shifts you are available. It’s a great way to meet new people and learn about elections from the inside.
The elections this year are:
- Tuesday, March 1: Presidential Primary Election
- Tuesday, April 5: Annual Town Election
- Thursday, Sept. 8: State Primary Election
- Tuesday, Nov. 8: Presidential General Election.
If you are interested, visit the town’s web page, select Town Clerk, Elections: Information for Residents and Media or go directly to:
http://www.belmont-ma.gov/town-clerk/pages/election-workers
or email to townclerk@belmont-ma.gov for more information.