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2023 Annual Town Election
TUESDAY MAY 2, 2023 - POLLS ARE OPEN 7:00 AM TO 8:00 PM
SAMPLE BALLOT Annual Town Election May 2, 2023
Click HERE for polling locations and election and voter information
The state legislature pass the Votes Act of 2022 allowing "no-excuse" vote by mail. A Vote by Mail Application must be filed with the Town Clerk's office in order to receive a ballot by mail. The deadline to apply is 5 PM on Tuesday, April 25. Absentee ballots application by mail must be received by 5 PM on Tuesday, April 25. The deadline for absentee voting at the counter is Noon on Monday, May 1. You can find more information on who qualifies for an absentee ballot HERE. All completed ballots must be received by the close of polls on Tuesday, May 2 at the Town Clerk's Office.
Voter registration deadline for the May 2, 2023 Town Election is 5:00 PM on Friday, April 21, 2023. More information about registering to vote can be found HERE.
Not sure of your precinct? Find your precinct and polling location at: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/wheredoivotema/bal/myelectioninfo.aspx
Track your ballot: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/wheredoivotema/track/trackmyballot.aspx
Running for Re-election to Town Meeting:
Town Meeting Members were sent a letter in January 2023 to confirm their interest in re-election as a Town Meeting Member. If the letter was not returned by the deadline of February 22, 2023 at 5:00 PM, then the candidate would have needed to pull nomination papers and obtain at least ten (10) signatures of registered voters registered in their precinct to be placed on the ballot.
Running for Election for Town Wide Office:
Candidates running for Town-wide office must obtain nomination papers, All candidates must obtain signatures of at least fifty (50) registered voters in Town. The Registrars of Voters must certify these signatures so it is recommended to obtain more than the required fifty (50). Nomination papers must be returned to the Town Clerk's Office by 5:00 PM on March 14, 2023.
Town-Wide Office | Number of Seats | Term of Office |
|---|---|---|
Selectmen | Vote for Two | Three (3) Years |
School Committee | Vote for Two | Three (3) Years |
Shrewsbury Housing Authority | Vote for One | Five (5) Years |
Trustees of the Public Library | Vote for Three | Three ( 3) Years |
Running for Election to Town Meeting:
Town Meeting serves as the Town's legislative body under the provisions of Chapter 553 of the Acts of 1953, known as the Representative Town Meeting Act. Town Meeting is responsible for taking all action normally associated with that of a legislative body in the American system of democracy including decisions about the Town's budgets, local bylaws and other matters. The legislative body of Shrewsbury is composed of 240 Town Meeting Members representing ten (10) precincts for staggered three (3) year terms.
Qualified candidates (registered voter in Shrewsbury) had their name placed on the ballot by filing nomination papers with the Town Clerk by 5:00 PM on March 14, 2023 and receiveing the minimum of ten (10) signatures of registered voters in their precinct. Write-ins may still be accepted on the ballot on May 2, 2023.
The Annual Town Meeting takes place during the month of May and the Board of Selectmen is responsible for setting the time and place of the meeting. Special Town Meetings can be held throughout the year and are typically held in the spring and/or fall.
As previously stated, The boundaries of Shrewsbury's precincts 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10 have been changed and therefore all seats are open and must be filled by election. The top third candidates who receive the most votes will win three-year terms, the next third will win two-year terms and the last third will be one-year terms. The boundaries of Shrewsbury's Precincts 3 are unchanged by the Reprecincting efforts described above, and will therefore elect the customary Town Meeting Members, each for a three-year term.
PRECINCT | NUMBER OF SEATS | TERM |
|---|---|---|
ONE (1) | Vote for Eight (8) | Three (3) years |
TWO (2) | Vote for Nine (9) | Three (3) years |
THREE (3) | Vote for Six (6) | Three (3) years |
FOUR (4) | Vote for Seven (7) | Three (3) years |
FIVE (5) | Vote for Eight (8) Vote for One (1) to fill a vacancy | Three (3) years Two (2) years |
SIX (6) | Vote for Eight (8) Vote for One (1) to fill a vacancy Vote for One (1) to fill a vacancy | Three (3) years Two (2) years One (1) year |
SEVEN (7) | Vote for Eight (8) | Three (3) years |
EIGHT (8) | Vote for Eight (8) | Three (3) years |
NINE (9) | Vote for Eight (8) | Three (3) years |
TEN (10) | Vote for Eight (8) | Three (3) years |
Withdrawing Your Name from the Ballot:
If you have taken out nomination papers and the signatures have been certified, you are able to withdraw your name from the ballot if you change your mind. The last day to withdraw your name is 5:00 PM on March 30, 2023.
Campaign Finance & Filing Requirements:
(Town Meeting Members are exempt from campaign finance)
All currently serving Elected Officials should have filed their year-end Campaign Finance Reports by January 20, 2022.
All candidates for Town-wide elected office must file finance forms with the Town Clerk if they have a campaign committee and are raising funds:
April 25, 2023 - Eight (8) days before the local election - Pre-election report
June 1, 2023 - Thirty (30) days after local election - Post election report
If no money is raised, a candidate may fill out a CPF M109 which covers the requirements for pre and post election, however a year end report must still be filed. More information on Campaign Finance can be found at the Office of Campaign and Political Finance website at https://www.ocpf.us/