Running for Elected Office

Annual Town Election - Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Candidates seeking elected office must "run" for office by obtaining Nomination Papers from the Office of the Town Clerk, obtain necessary signatures of voters, and file papers by appropriate deadline.   

Nomination papers for the 2024 Annual Town Election will be available beginning Wednesday, January 17, 2024.  You are welcome to call the Town Clerk's office ahead of time so the nomination papers can be prepared for you in advance.  At the time you pick up the nomination papers, an election calendar and campaign finance information will be provided to you. Nomination papers are required to be returned to the Town Clerks office with the appropriate number of signatures (50).  Please be sure to collect at least 60 signatures in case some of those you collect are not able to be certified.  Upon certification of sufficient signatures for all candidates seeking nomination to the offices for which papers had been obtained, the candidate qualifies to have his/her name on the ballot for the election, and will be notified via email.

  • Last day to submit nomination papers for certification - Tuesday, March 19, 2024
  • Last day to object or withdraw - Thursday, April 4, 2024 - 5:00 PM
  • Last day to register voters for Town Election/Town Meeting -Friday, April 26, 2024 - 5:00 PM OR up until 11:59 PM on line at  https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr/ . The Town Clerk’s Office will be open from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM for anyone wishing to register in person.
  • Last day to apply for vote by mail - Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - 5:00 PM (Must be received by 5:00 PM in the Town Clerk's Office - postmarks do not count)

Elected positions for the 2024 Annual Election -

PositionNumber of SeatsTerm Limit 
Select Board

 

2

3 Years
Board of Assessor23 Years
Board of Health23 Years
Board of Library Trustees23 Years
Board of Library Trustees - To Fill a Vacancy11 Year
Board of Public Works23 Years
Planning Board15 Years
Planning Board Associate15 Years
Recreation Commission23 Years
School Committee23 Years
Trust Fund Commission13 Years

Trust Fund Commission - To Fill a Vacancy

12 Years
Housing Authority**0**5 Years

**Housing Authority:  Pursurant to changes made to MGL Chapter 121B, §§ 5 & 5A by Chapter 358 of the Acts of 2020, "An Act Enabling Partnerships for Growth" ,Towns are now required to appoint a tenant of the Local Housing Authority (LHA) to the LHA Board.  This position is known as the Town Appointed Board Member Seat.

Nomination Papers Pulled/Returned as of 3/19/2024:

Office / NameDate Picked UpDate Returned
Select Board - Doug Levine 1/22/20241/29/2023 - Signatures Certified
Select Board - Carol Martin1/22/20241/30/2024 - Signatures Certified
Board of Health - Brett Mordas1/24/20243/6/2024 - Signatures Certified
Board of Health - Robert Defrancesco 2/5/20243/7/2024 - Signatures Certified
Board of Assessors - Zach Ventress1/31/20243/13/2024 - Signatures Certified
Board of Assessors - Doug McNeilly2/12/20243/11/2024 - Signatures Certified
Board of Library Trustees - George Winfield Treese1/20/20243/4/2024 - Signatures Certified
Board of Library Trustees - Candace Hetzner1/24/20242/20/2024 - Signatures Certified
Board of Library Trustees - To Fill a Vacancy - Emily Weintraub1/25/20243/4/2024 - Signatures Certified
Recreation - David Pearlman1/22/20243/5/2024 - Signatures Certified
Recreation - Lesley Stewart

1/23/2024

2/14/2024 - Signatures Certified
School Committee - Kate Sambuco 1/22/20241/29/2024 - Signatures Certified
School Committee - Elizabeth Cullen1/22/20241/31/2024 - Signatures Certified
School Committee - Craig Gruber1/24/2024 
Board of Public Works - Judy Ling2/5/20242/26/2024 - Signatures Certified
Board of Public Works - Michael Spelman3/12/20243/18/2024 - Signatures Certified
Trust Fund Commission - To Fill a Vacancy - Robert Fox3/5/20243/19/2024 - Signatures Certified
Trust Fund Commission - Barry Rothschild3/15/20243/19/2024 - Signatures Certified
Planning Board - Robin Borgestedt3/11/20243/19/2024 - Signatures Certified
Planning Board Associate - Phyllis Dininio3/14/20243/18/2024 - Signatures Certified
   

Informational Fact Sheets & Guides:

Click HERE for the Municipal Guide and other important information regarding Campaign Finance and how it applies to Municipal Elected Officials

Campaign Finance Information:
Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance Website
Massachusetts Office of Campaign & Political Finance Website - Forms & Publications
Statement of Organization - Candidates

Campaign Finance Reports  - Prior to each deadline of the Campaign Finance Reports, the Town Clerk will notify each candidate and provide the appropriate report.

Commonly filed reports include:

  • CPF M 101
  • CPF M 102 & Instructions for completing
  • CPF M 102-0  - No Financial Activity
  • CPF M 109 - no financial activity and none anticipated for the calendar year

Candidates and their committees, if any, are required by statute to file periodic campaign finance reports and are also responsible for the legality, validity, completeness and accuracy of their reports.   These reports must be filed whether or not money has been raised or expended during the reporting period.  Reports are due to the local election official by the close of business on the day the report is due.  All forms, as well as filing software, are available on the OCPF website.

•  Pre-Election Report: Due on or before the 8th day preceding the city or town general election, complete from the day following the ending date of the last report filed through 10 days before the due date

•  Post-Election Report: Due on or before the 30th day following the general election complete from the day following the ending date of the last report filed through 10 days before the due date. This report may be considered a final report if the candidate/committee has no cash balance, assets or outstanding liabilities. Most spring elections occur in towns.

•  Year-End Report:  Due on or before January 20 in the year following, complete from the day following the ending date of the last report filed through December 31. This year-end report must also be filed every year so long as a committee is in existence, or a candidate maintains a campaign fund, has outstanding debts, or is an incumbent elected official. 

The Town Clerk's Office publishes campaign finance reports for all candidates to the Town's website.

Political Signs
Candidates must conduct campaign sign holding efforts in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws and the Code of Massachusetts Regulations including, but not limited to 950 C.M.R. 52.03(22)(d); 950 C.M.R. 53.03(18)(d); 950 C.M.R. 54.04(22)(d).

Candidates and sign holders are prohibited from remaining within 150 feet of a poll entrance to greet and/or promote any candidacy or cause to be voted at an election. No person shall solicit votes for or against, or otherwise promote or oppose, any person or political party or position on a ballot question to be voted on at the current election while within 150 feet of a poll. This regulation does not restrict the rights of these individuals to vote or the rights of candidates to have observers within the polling place.

Electioneering
Candidates and/or ballot question committee members must conduct electioneering in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws and the Code of Massachusetts Regulations including, but not limited to, 950 C.M.R. 52.03(22)(d); 950 C.M.R. 53.03(18)(d); 950 C.M.R. 54.04(22)(d).

Candidates and/or ballot question committee members are prohibited from remaining within 150 feet of a poll entrance to greet and/or promote any candidacy or cause to be voted at an election. No person shall solicit votes for or against, or otherwise promote or oppose, any person or political party or position on a ballot question to be voted on at the current election while within 150 feet of a poll. This regulation does not restrict the rights of these individuals to vote or the rights of candidates to have observers within the polling place.

How to Run For Office as a Write-In Candidate

Click HERE for information from the Secretary of State's Office on how to run a sticker campaign

A person can seek nomination and election without filing nomination papers to have their name printed as a candidate on the ballot by conducting a write-in or sticker campaign. All ballots must have an area designated as a write-in space. This space allows a voter to physically write in the name of a person other than those names already printed on the ballot and thereby obtain a vote. A “sticker campaign” is when a candidate provides voters with stickers containing the candidate’s name as registered to affix on the ballot in the area for write-ins. A voter need not use the sticker to have such vote counted for the sticker candidate. He or she can physically write in the name of that candidate.

The first step in running for office as a write-in or sticker candidate is checking with local election officials about any particular technicalities involved, such as enrollment or residency requirements. Also, while not required, our Office strongly recommends notifying your local election officials of your intention to run as a write-in or sticker candidate. When notified, the local election officials can inform precinct officials to carefully count all write-ins or stickers.

Informing the public of your candidacy will be your primary activity. To vote for a write-in or sticker candidate, voters are being asked to extend themselves beyond customary voting practices of simply filling in an oval, connecting an arrow or marking an ‘X’ next to a name on the ballot. Accordingly, you have to inform voters of the procedures to follow so that their votes are valid and counted.