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Town of Wellesley round-up: election 2022, updated voting info, census, dog licenses

January 5, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Town of Wellesley updates:

Nomination Papers for March 1, 2022 town-wide election

The deadline to obtain nomination papers for Town Wide office is Friday, January 7, 2022, at 5pm. Signatures of fifty voters registered in the Town are required (any precinct). Papers must be returned to the Town Clerk for certification no later than Tuesday January 11, 2022, at 5pm.

The deadline to obtain nomination papers for Town Meeting Member is Friday, January 21, 2022, at 5 p.m. Ten signatures of registered voters from the precinct are required. The nomination papers must be returned to the Town Clerk’s Office for certification no later than Tuesday, January 25, 2022, at 5pm.

Offices for the March 1, 2022 Town Election are:

Call the Town Clerk’s office for additional information (781-431-1019 ext 2252).

Update on voting by mail

At this time, Vote by Mail (no excuses) is no longer available.

Absentee ballots continue to be available. To qualify for an absentee ballot, you must:

Be away from Wellesley on Election Day; or
Have a disability that keeps you from voting at your polling place; or
Have a religious belief that prevents you from voting at your polling place on Election day; or
Are taking precautions relating to COVID-19 considered to be a physical disability.

If eligible for a by-mail absentee ballot, request one using the Absentee Ballot Application.

Annual Town Census

All residential addresses should have received the 2022 Annual Town Census. All households are required to return the census document as soon as possible, even if no changes are necessary.

Dog licensing

The Town Clerk’s office is reminding pet owners to renew annual dog licenses.

Renew your dog license through the online Viewpoint Cloud system. You will receive an email with a direct link from [email protected]

Paper renewal applications may be returned to Town Hall by mail or dropped off in the Town Hall payments drop box off (on the Washington Street side). Please include a self addressed stamped envelope.

Due to COVID-19, there are no walk-in dog license registrations. Licenses must be renewed annually from January 1st though March 31st to avoid a fine. Each dog requires a separate application. Contact the Town Clerk’s office with questions.

Please support neighborhood schools by voting Yes on Tuesday

December 5, 2021 by admin Leave a Comment

Dear Wellesley Residents,

I am writing in support of rebuilding two new schools for our youngest learners. As a strong supporter of neighborhood schools I was opposed to closing any of the HHU schools. It is extremely important to be united so we don’t lose two neighborhood schools. Please make voting on Tuesday for Hardy and Hunnewell a priority.

When my husband and I moved here in 2001 it was appalling to see the condition of these schools. I was convinced the town would do something soon. Twenty years later the rebuilding of these schools is far overdue. For many years we enjoyed lower taxes while we ignored our oldest school buildings. Kudos to the FMD for keeping them running after inheriting them back in 2012. Why were these buildings not a priority for our town back in 2000 or earlier?

As a supporter of neighborhood schools, schools that foster tight knit relationships with their communities, closing two schools is not the right move. School enrollment decline never happens evenly. If both schools do not pass we will end up busing students all over town (no school will be unaffected) to even out the enrollment. But honestly, who are we kidding, the majority of parents will drive their kids to school, we do now. So, in addition to added busing costs, we will have added traffic. We also need to take into consideration that now, more than ever, kids need consistency not yearly redistricting. These schools are for the children, not the parents or the school administration.

In closing, two of our largest special education programs will be housed in these new buildings. This is partly the reason the new schools are designed the way they are. Five schools will not have the space to accommodate these programs. We will be forced to continue operating one of the old schools in its current condition. Reducing our schools from 7 to 5 is not as easy as less kids = less schools. Over the years some of us had children at overcrowded schools, we know enrollment ebbs and flows. We need to be making decisions on schools that will last us 50 years or maybe even 100 if you acknowledge Hardy’s lifespan. Wrong decisions now will cost us down the road; that is a lesson we all should have learned by now.

Please vote in favor of these two new elementary schools on 12/7/21.

Thank you,

Lisa Fico

TMM Precinct A

Former Hardy PTO co-president 2014-2015

Town of Wellesley round-up: nomination papers, voting, census, dog licenses

January 7, 2021 by admin Leave a Comment

Town of Wellesley updates:

Nomination Papers for March 2, 2021 town-wide election

The last day to obtain nomination papers for town-wide office is Fri., Jan. 8, 2021, at 5pm. 50 signatures are needed. The last dat to return nomination papers is Tue., Jan. 12, at 5pm.

Offices for town election March 2, 2021 are:

Select Board, 2 0f 5 (3-year terms)
Board of Assessors, 1 of 3 (3-year term)
Board of Health, 1 of 3 (3-year term)
Housing Authority, 3 of 5 (two 5-year terms; one 1-year term)
Moderator, 1 of 1 (1-year term)
Natural Resources, 2 0f 5 (3-year terms)
Library Trustees, 2 of 6 (3-year terms)
Planning Board, 1 of 5 (5-year term)
Board of Public Works, 1 of 3 (3-year term)
Recreation Commissioners, 3 0f 5 (two 3-year terms; one 2-year term)
School Committee, 2 of 5 (3-year terms)
Town Clerk, 1 of 1 (3-year term)

Call the Town Clerk’s office for additional information (781-431-1019 ext 2252).

Town meeting nomination papers

Town Meeting Members are elected to staggered terms annually. Each precinct will elect 10 town meeting members, and fill any vacant seats.

Jan. 19, 2021: Last day for incumbent Town Meeting members to file notice of candidacy with Town Clerk.

Jan. 22, 2021: Last day to obtain nomination papers for new Town Meeting candidates.

Jan. 26, 2021: Last day to return nomination papers for new Town Meeting candidates

April 26, 2021: Town meeting is expected to begin. Town meeting will continue weekly until the business is completed.

Annual Town Census

All residential addresses should have received the 2021 Annual Town Census. All households are required to return the census document as soon as possible, even if no changes are necessary.

Early vote by mail information

The Town census also includes information about mail-in voting and ballot request forms for the March 2, 2021 town-wide election.

Voters who would like to request a mail-in ballot for the annual Town Elections must do so by February 24, 2021 at 5pm

Dog Licensing

The Town Clerk’s office is reminding pet owners to renew annual dog licenses.

The renewal period began on January 1 and runs through March 31, 2021. Owners may renew licenses online using the Viewpoint Cloud email that was sent on January 1, 2021. You may also renew dog licenses online via the Town Clerk webpages.

There are no walk-in dog license renewals this year as Town Hall remains closed to the public due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

To renew dog licenses by mail, please follow the instructions on the Animal Control webpages.

Wellesley Animal Control Officer Sue Webb to retire after 45 years on the job

‘Zuck bucks’ supported Wellesley’s voting operations in 2020

December 15, 2020 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

It’s been a busy and as they say, unprecedented, year for elections in Wellesley, from the Presidential Primary in early March to a delayed town election in June to three more chances to vote in the fall. Stir in the introduction of an immediately popular vote-by-mail option and the need to invest in lots of plexiglass to keep in-person staff and voters safe, and the Town Clerk’s office found itself stretched thin.

Good thing Dr. Pricilla Chan and her Facebook CEO husband Mark Zuckerberg are loaded. According to an APM Reports story headlined “How Private Money From Facebook’s CEO Saved The 2020 Election,” the coupled contributed $350 million to an outfit called the Center for Tech and Civic Life that bestowed grants upon more than 2,500 jurisdictions to help fund election administration.

wellesley town election — Inside the Babson athletic center on a quiet election day in June. Photo shared by Kim Maire

Sharp-eyed Swellesley reader PC noticed that Wellesley was among the communities that received a grant, so we followed up with Town Clerk KC Kato to learn more.

Wellesley scored $11,700 from the Center for the purpose of planning and operationalizing safe and secure election administration in 2020.

“The State Elections Office informed Town Clerks about the grant and we applied,” Kato says.

“We are using the funds to help defray costs affiliated with the Vote By Mail efforts, including temporary staffing, voting equipment and election administration equipment,” she says. “Although Vote by Mail was wonderful in providing a safe and easy way for the community to vote, it did require a significant amount of additional labor, systems and postage to process the applications and ballots.”

The Center for Tech and Civic Life money, plus an allocation of CARES Act funding, helped Wellesley make its election operations run smoothly.

Thanks to reader PC for tipping us off about the APM Reports article. We rely heavily on reader tips, and always appreciate them: [email protected]

Everything you need to know about voting on Election Day in Wellesley

November 2, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Vote, Wellesley Residents may continue to drop off ballots at the drop box in front of Town Hall until 8pm until November 3.

Ballots may also be returned by mail. They must be postmarked by November 3 and received by November 6 to be included in the official Town count.

Election Day is November 3rd

On Election Day, voting locations will be open 7am – 8pm. Voters who are in line by 8pm will be allowed to vote.

The Board of Selectmen voted on August 4, 2020 to locate the polling locations at non-school sites.

New Polling Locations Map
Polling Locations Change Evaluation Report
Precincts A (Bates), B (Sprague) and C (Upham) will vote at the Municipal Light Plant at 4 Municipal Way.
Precincts D (Schofield) and E (Fiske) will vote at the Warren Building at 90 Washington Street.
Precinct F (Dana Hall) will vote at the Wellesley Village Congregational Church at 2 Central Street.

There are no changes at the below precincts:

Precinct G will vote at the Wellesley Free Library at 530 Washington Street.
Precinct H will vote at the Tolles Parsons Center – Council on Aging at 500 Washington Street.

Don’t know which precinct you’re in? Here’s how to find out where to vote in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

If you do not know where your voting precinct is, or having any election/voting questions, please call the Town Clerk’s Office at (781) 431-1019 x 2252.

Public schools schedule

Tue., Nov. 3rd is a remote learning day for all students and is an early release day due to Election Day. Dismissal is at noon.

As a result, Wed., Nov. 4th is an in-person full day. Check in with individual schools for more details.

Wellesley in-person voting is today—polls open 7am – 8pm

September 1, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Vote, Wellesley The polls will be open today (Tue., Sept. 1, 7am – 8pm), for in-person voting. Wellesley voters will cast their ballots for the combined State Primary and Wellesley Board of Selectmen Special Election.

Voters who are in line by 8pm will be allowed to vote. All school-based polling locations have been moved to non-school sites for the 2020 elections:

New Polling Locations Map
Polling Locations Change Evaluation Report
Precincts A (Bates), B (Sprague) and C (Upham) will vote at the Municipal Light Plant at 4 Municipal Way.
Precincts D (Schofield) and E (Fiske) will vote at the Warren Building at 90 Washington Street.
Precinct F (Dana Hall) will vote at the Wellesley Village Congregational Church at 2 Central Street.

There are no changes at the below precincts:

Precinct G will vote at the Wellesley Free Library at 530 Washington Street.
Precinct H will vote at the Tolles Parsons Center – Council on Aging at 500 Washington Street.

Don’t know which precinct you’re in? Here’s how to find out where to vote in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Wellesley’s voting volunteers step up during pandemic

August 31, 2020 by admin 2 Comments

This Wellesley Election 2020 post is sponsored by the Colette Aufranc Campaign — Colette Aufranc, candidate for the Board of Selectmen. Where experience meets trusted leadership.

Over 100 volunteers in Wellesley have stepped up to support the voting process for the combined State Primary and Wellesley Board of Selectmen Special Election, COVID-19 notwithstanding. From helping with the mailing and processing of the almost 9,000 requests by voters for Vote-by-Mail ballots to staffing the early in-person voting process at the Tolles Parsons Center, the Elections Staff has masked up and made themselves available.

Wellesley voting, 2020 — Wellesley election staff volunteers, brothers Jonah Tobin, left, and Seth, are two of the young adults who stepped up to help out during the voting process.

“COVID has made staffing elections more challenging,” Town Clerk KC Kato says. “Fortunately, almost all of our Wardens and Clerks, our precinct Leadership, are returning. They bring many years of experience to elections. We are excited to have a new generation supporting elections. About 30% of the Elections Staff are young adults ranging from 16 years old to 25 years old.”

During in-person voting, all volunteers will be wearing masks, and voters are requested to do the same. As an additional safety measure, in June the town invested in plexiglass for the check-in tables. Social distancing measures will also be in place.

Kato says that most requests for a mail-in ballot were for both the State Primary and the Town Special Election ballots.

Early voting has ended for the State Primary and the Town Special Election, as has mail-in voting. The polls will be open on Tuesday, Sept. 1 for in-person voting.

How to vote in person in Wellesley on Sept. 1

The Wellesley polls will be open on Tue., Sept. 1, 7am – 8pm, for in-person voting. Voters who are in line by 8pm will be allowed to vote. All school-based polling locations are moving for the 2020 elections.

The Board of Selectmen voted on August 4, 2020 to locate the polling locations at non-school sites.

New Polling Locations Map
Polling Locations Change Evaluation Report
Precincts A (Bates), B (Sprague) and C (Upham) will vote at the Municipal Light Plant at 4 Municipal Way.
Precincts D (Schofield) and E (Fiske) will vote at the Warren Building at 90 Washington Street.
Precinct F (Dana Hall) will vote at the Wellesley Village Congregational Church at 2 Central Street.

There are no changes at the below precincts:

Precinct G will vote at the Wellesley Free Library at 530 Washington Street.
Precinct H will vote at the Tolles Parsons Center – Council on Aging at 500 Washington Street.

Don’t know which precinct you’re in? Here’s how to find out where to vote in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Board of Selectmen, Q & A round-up

There is a Town Special Election to fill a Board of Selectmen (BOS) position because a BOS member recently moved out of town, vacating his position.

We asked each of the three candidates running for the single spot to answer a few questions to help voters get to know them better. Here are their responses:

Colette Aufranc, Q & A

Gwen Baker, Q & A

Odessa Sanchez, Q & A