Postponing of Rehoboth's April 7, 2020 Annual Town Election to June 30, 2020

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 on the Town Website (https://www.town.rehoboth.ma.us/home/news/april-7-2020-annual-town-election-postponed-june-30-2020) and is attached to this e-mail.

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.
The law requires the Town to post public notice of the postponed election and rescheduled election date on its website and to broadly publicize the postponement and rescheduling. Rehoboth is posting this notice on the website, sending e-notification alerts to all website subscribers and will provide additional posted attested copies in the office of the Rehoboth Town Clerk and in not less than three other public places, in each of the three precincts of the Town along with issuing a press release to The Rehoboth Reporter – The Sun Chronicle and the Taunton Gazette.

The law establishes a new voter registration deadline of 8:00 p.m. on the 10th 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 attached to this e-mail. 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 on the Town Website and attached to this e-mail. Your absentee voting ballot must be received by the Town Clerk before the polls close 8:00 PM on election day.

To vote absentee, please use this ballot application:
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/absentee/English-Absentee-Ballot-Application.pdf

•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 on the Town Website and attached to this e-mail. Your early voting ballot must be received by the Town Clerk before the polls close 8:00 PM on election day.

To vote “early voting through MAIL (only)” please use this application:
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/2020-Municipal-Early-Ballot-Application.pdf

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