April 7, 2020 Annual Town Election Postponed to June 30, 2020 - Selectmen Voted to Reduce Polling Locations & Polling Hours

Pursuant to Section 1 of Chapter 45 of the Acts of 2020 and because of the State of Emergency declared by the Governor pursuant to executive order 591, Declaration of a State of Emergency to Respond to COVID-19, and its implications on election administration, the Annual Town Election scheduled for April 7, 2020 is hereby postponed to June 30, 2020.  A copy of the law may be viewed HERE and is attached below.

At its meeting on March 23, 2020, the Board of Selectmen voted to reschedule the Rehoboth Annual Town Election to June 30, 2020 and ratified that vote on March 30, 2020.  Selectman Jim Muri made the  MOTION “Pursuant to Section 1 of Chapter 45 of the Acts of 2020 and because of the State of Emergency declared by the Governor pursuant to executive order 591, Declaration of a State of Emergency to Respond to COVID-19, and its implications on election administration, the Rehoboth Annual Town Election scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, 2020 is hereby postponed to Tuesday, June 30, 2020." The motion was seconded by Skip Vadnais. Selectmen Voted Unanimously. Motion approved 5-0.   

On May 26, 2020, the Board of Selectmen voted to reduce the polling locations and polling hours due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, State of Emergency and Social Distancing Protocols.  Selectman Dave Perry made the MOTION  "To designate the COA Building, 55 Bay State Road in Rehoboth, MA as the polling place for the June 30, 2020 Rehoboth Annual Town Election, and to set 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM as the hours the polling place shall remain open for in-person voting; and to take another action as may be required to comply with guidance provided by Town Counsel and the Massachusetts Elections Division. Said motion is made in recognition of the extraordinary challenges of conducting an Election during a public health emergency."  The motion was seconded by Skip Vadnais.  Selectmen Voted Unanimously to approve.  Motion approved 4-0; Selectman Costello was absent.

The law establishes a new voter registration deadline of 8:00 p.m. on the 10^th day before the rescheduled election.  The rescheduled election date is June 30, 2020, therefore, the 10th day before the rescheduled election is Friday, June 19, 2020. 

The law authorizes the Town to reuse election materials.  The Town will be using the official and absentee ballots used for the April 7, 2020 election.  As required by the law a sample of the ballot is available by clicking HERE or attached below.  Please Note, after the ballots were printed, we received a notarized withdrawal request of Selectman candidate, Laura Dias Samsel.  Even though Ms. Samsel’s name appears on the ballot, she is no longer a candidate.

In light of widespread practice of social distancing, the law provides for two alternatives to voting in person:

• First, the law allows any person taking precaution related to COVID-19 to vote by absentee ballot.  All applications for an absentee ballot must be received by the Town Clerk before noon on Monday, June 29, 2020, the last business day before the election.  Any person may apply for an absentee ballot by sending a signed request to the Town Clerk’s office or filling out the absentee ballot application available HERE and attached below.  Your absentee voting ballot must be received by the Town Clerk before the polls close 8:00 PM on election day; June 30, 2020.

• Second, the law provides for early voting by mail.  All applications for early voting ballots must be received before noon on Monday, June 29, 2020, the last business day before the election.  Any person may obtain an early voting ballot by sending a signed request to the Town Clerk’s office or by filling out and returning the early voting application available HERE and attached below.  Your early voting ballot must be received by the Town Clerk before the polls close 8:00 PM on election day; June 30, 2020.

The law does NOT make any other changes to elections or the election process.

Click on the image below to view the 8-page mailer with Absentee and Early Voting Ballot Applications that arrived in Rehoboth Households on 6-5-2020. Please stay healthy and safe by voting by mail.  Send in your applications as soon as possible.  Thank you for voting!