Incumbent Colette Aufranc retains her Select Board seat and Ann-Mara Lanza joins the board based on election results released by the Wellesley Town Clerk’s office. Aufranc this past September joined the board by winning a special election to replace a member who moved out of town.
Update (3/5/21): Here are final election results for townwide offices and ballot question, as well as for town meeting members. We’ve updated this post and the embedded documents, too, which originally were unofficial preliminary election results.
Just over a quarter of Wellesley’s active voters cast ballots either by mail or in person to culminate a tense election season.
Odessa Sanchez, who lost her bid for one of the two open Select Board seats, tallied the most votes for one of the two Wellesley Housing Authority five-year terms up for grabs. Incumbent Janice Coduri earned the votes for the other open seat. Micah O’Neil finished third.
In the other contested race, Scott Bender remains on the Board of Public Works, securing a three-year term.
On the non-binding referendum regarding the replacement of Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Wellesley, some 49% of voters said Yes, 43% No, and 8% left the box blank. Six of eight precincts voted Yes.
The Committee for Indigenous Peoples Day issued this statement following the results being made public: “The preliminary results are in, and you did it! Your voice and your vote sent a clear message on election day, that the town of Wellesley stands in solidarity and support for Indigenous Peoples in our community and beyond. When we asked for your endorsements you put a name to your vote. When we called for volunteers you showed up. When we were out in the streets you honked, applauded, and brought us Dunkin! For all this and more we are forever grateful.”
The Committee to Preserve Wellesley’s Italian American Heritage had campaigned to defeat the non-binding ballot question, arguing that the second Monday in October should celebrate Italian American heritage, wth Indigenous People being honored in November.
The organization issued a statement after the results were made public: “We thank all of our supporters! Close to two thousand voices spoke up in favor of unity, inclusion, and tolerance and should not be silenced. Send your letters and make your phone calls to the Select Board, asking them to honor the Town’s Tolerance Pledge. Every culture should feel welcome in Wellesley. Honor Italian American heritage and, by extension, all immigrants on the second Monday in October, and honor Indigenous Peoples during the month of November.”
(Question #1: “Should the Select Board, with the understanding that since 1977 Indigenous people of our country have requested Indigenous Peoples Day as a recognition of their humanity, culture, and history and further, that our country was built on Native lands, proclaim the second Monday of October henceforth be commemorated as Indigenous Peoples’ Day and cease to recognize Columbus Day in Wellesley in recognition of the position of Indigenous Peoples as natives to these lands, and the suffering they faced during and after the European conquest? This question is not binding.”)
Thanks to all who ran, campaigned, and voted.
Correction (3/3/21): We’ve updated the voting %s on the ballot question from an earlier miscalculation that didn’t take blank votes into consideration. Sorry for the error.
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