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US Senate Special Election

The Special Election to fill the Senate seat formerly held by Edward Kennedy begins with the primary elections on December 8th. The general election will be held on January 19th.

An article in the Chelmsford Independent reviews the candidates and their positions.

The Town of Chelmsford has a special election website, with links to registration information, a request for an absentee ballot [pdf], and a specimen ballot [pdf]. The Town's voter information webpage has the list of polling locations [pdf] the precinct list by street [pdf].

For more information, residents can contact the Town Clerk's office.

Special Town Election: October 6th, 2009

There is a Special Town Election scheduled for Tuesday, October 6th, 2009.

The two ballot questions are below (view entire Oct. 6 Warrant):

1. Department of Public Works Facility - view presentation
2. Fire Station Headquarters - view presentation

Voting locations are:

For more information on this election or registering to vote, please visit the Town of Chelmsford website.

Update - Results:
Unofficial Results from the Town Clerk's office

• Question 1 (DPW), defeated 3,573-2,934 with 6,532 ballots cast
• Question 2 (Fire Station), defeated 3,790-2,747 with 6546 ballots cast

Read more at the Chelmsford Independent

Town Election: April 7, 2009

The Chelmsford Town Election is on Tuesday, April 7th, 2009.

The Town of Chelmsford's Voter Information webpage has the information Chelmsford residents need to know before vote on Tuesday:

• List of candidates and positions
• Precinct polling locations [pdf]
• Precinct list by street [pdf]

In addition, the Chelmsford Independent published an introduction to all of the Town Meeting Representative Candidates. These were written by the candidates, to introduce themselves and explain their positions.

Be sure to review the candidates and positions before casting your vote on Tuesday. For additional voter information, please contact the Town Clerk's Office at 978-250-5205.

Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 4th

Don't forget that election day this year is Tuesday, November 4th.

To find out exactly what will be on your ballot, the MA Secretary of State - Elections Division has created a Ballot Information webpage - just enter your street address, and it will produce the ballot options you will see on Tuesday.

Their form will also provide your voting location, based on your address. The Town of Chelmsford also has precinct listings and polling locations available on the Town's Voter Information webpage.

Another new website this year is http://www.imagineelection.com, which also lists ballot information by street address. By reviewing your choices, you can research the candidates and issues before election day, so your vote can really speak for your preferences.

To find information on the candidates and issues, here are a few web resources that should help:

Election/Voting Resources:

• Review of MA Questions 1, 2 and 3, on the library's blog
• Voter Information Guide, from the Elections Division
• America.gov: Guide to the 2008 Elections
• U.S. National Archives and Records Administration: 2008 Election & Electoral College Information
• Project Vote Smart
• BBC News: How American Elections Work

Campaign Monitoring:

• Federal Election Commission: Presidential Campaign Finance
• The Annenberg Center: FactCheck.org
• The Huffington Post: FundRace 2008
• Bi-partisan Online Community: PoliticalBase.com
• OpenSecrets.org: 2008 Presidential Election

And Don't Forget:
Nov. 4th is also the day to vote for your choice of One Book Chelmsford 2009 - the three candidates are listed on the One Book Chelmsford webpage, which is also where you'll be able to vote online on Nov. 4th. be sure to cast your vote to pick the One Book all of Chelmsford will read in 2009 - and check back on Nov. 5th for the winner!

Upcoming Election Issues

On November 4th, Massachusetts voters will get to elect many national and state officials, and also decide on three state-wide ballot issues.

The MA Secretary of State Office has published the Information for Voters booklet [pdf], which includes these ballot questions and outlines what a Yes or No vote means in each case. Copies of these booklets are available online [pdf] and at the Reference Desk, and the issues are summarized below.

Question 1: State Personal Income Tax
This proposed law would reduce the state personal income tax rate to 2.65% for all categories of taxable income for the tax year beginning on or after Jan 1, 2009, and would eliminate the tax for all tax years beginning on or after Jan 1, 2010. Complete summary...

• Voting Yes would lower and then eliminate personal income tax as a source of revenue for the state government.
  More information: SmallGovernmentAct.org
• Voting No would make no change to state income tax laws.
  More information: VoteNoQuestion1.com

Read how Question 1 could affect the Chelmsford Library, in a statement by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Question 2: Possession of Marijuana
This proposed law would replace the criminal penalties for possession of one ounce of less of marijuana with a new system of civil penalties, and would exclude information regarding this civil offense from the state's criminal record information system. Complete summary...

• Voting Yes would replace the criminal penalties for possession of one ounce of less of marijuana with a new system of civil penalties.
  More information: SensibleMarijuanaPolicy.org
• Voting No would make no change in state criminal laws concerning possession of marijuana.
  More information: Mass.gov/MDAA

Question 3: Dog Racing
This proposed law would prohibit any dog racing or racing meeting in Massachusetts where any form of betting or wagering on the speed of ability of dogs occurs. Complete summary...

• Voting Yes would prohibit any dog races on which betting or wagering occurs, effective Jan 1, 2010.
  More information: MSPCA.org
• Voting No would make no change in state criminal laws concerning dog racing.
  More information: RaynhamParkFun.com

Additional information on these questions, candidates for office in 2008, and registering and voting in Massachusetts is available from the Elections Division of the Secretary of State.