Overseen by the Town Clerk's office, the annual ballot election—technically a part of the Town Meeting—is a familiar avenue for citizen expression. The Municipal Bylaws stipulate that this election will take place on the third Saturday of May, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

During such elections, Board, Committee, and many other officials are voted into office. In addition, any Town Meeting items also requiring a ballot approval (such as a Proposition 2-1/2 override) are also decided in this election.

Sometimes, the ballot election might fail to enact measures passed at Town Meeting. This might happen if voters at Town Meeting do not cast ballots in the election. In addition, voters who were not present for the relevant Town Meeting vote might cast ballots that result in an outcome that contradicts the Town Meeting decision.

Town Meeting might also vote to reject an Article that appears on the ballot. In some cases, Town Meeting passes over (decides not to vote on) an issue that will appear on the ballot. In both of these circumstances, the ballot results are moot.

In addition to the annual elections, primary and state elections take place on evenly numbered years.

   | Privacy Policy & Terms of Use