March 29, 2024

From the Town Clerk

Posted

Hello All ~ I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.   I wish you all a wonderful and safe holiday season. 

ANNUAL TOWN CENSUS

 Our Annual Town Census Forms for year 2020 will be mailed to all households in Rehoboth during the first week of January.  The Board of Registrars is required to conduct an annual listing of residents as of the first of January each year. In addition to the name, address, telephone number, date of birth, occupation, veteran status, and number of dogs, the form includes a section for school information required by the school department.  Please Note: a section for e-mail addresses and cell phone numbers on your 2020 Town Census forms.  If you no longer have a home phone and use a cell phone, please let us know your new number so we can update our records ~ thank you.

Attention:  This year, in addition to receiving the 2020 Rehoboth Town Census in January, there will also be a 2020 Federal Census, which will be mailed to you in March, by the U.S. Census Bureau. This census (2020 Federal Census) is performed every 10 years.  The 2020 United States Census is separate from the “annual street listing” or Rehoboth Official Town Census, which you will receive in January with your 2020 Town Calendar. The 2020 Town of Rehoboth yearly census is used to confirm your residency and keep your voter registration status up to date. The 2020 US Census count will be used to ensure that Rehoboth and Massachusetts receive their fair share of Federal money and political representation for the next 10 years. Representation in the United States Congress and the Electoral College is based on United State Census responses. 

Therefore, IT IS IMPORTANT TO RETURN BOTH YOUR

2020 REHOBOTH TOWN CENSUS AND THE UNITED STATES CENSUS IN 2020.

 Please return both your 2020 Census forms this year ~ thank you!

As a reminder, failure to return the completed Town census form may result in voters being placed on an “inactive” voting list or being removed from the voting list.  Please do not let this happen to you, especially in a Presidential Election year – please return your census as soon as you receive it in January.  Simply review the pre-printed Census Form, make corrections, sign it, and return it no later than January 31st. You can choose to return the Census Form via the U.S. Postal Service, utilize the Census drop off boxes at Town Hall, Blanding Library, Bristol County Savings Bank, or the Senior Center. Additionally, you may scan your signed and completed census forms and email them to TownClerk@RehobothMA.GOV.  We look forward to hearing from you in January.

New residents may receive blank forms, which they are asked to complete and return. If you do not receive a Census Form, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office 508-252-6502 X-3110 or X-3109.  Blank Census forms are also available on the town website @

http://www.town.rehoboth.ma.us/town-clerk/pages/census-information

Results of the Town Census are used to prove residency for a variety of reasons. The data is also used for state college entrance applications, veterans’ benefits, amending and establishing birth records, locating missing persons, establishing precinct lines, predicting future school enrollment, state and federal funding to the town, police and fire protection, updating the voting list, and other legal purposes.  Please return your town census as soon as possible; Town Census is due date 1-31-2020 ~ thank you.

For the convenience of dog owners, we will again include with the 2020 Census, an application for the 2020 Dog License(s). This gives dog owners the opportunity to license their dogs well before the annual April 1st due date should they want to license their dogs early.  Dog license applications must be accompanied by a current rabies certificate (with a vaccination date of May 1, 2020 or later) and proof of spay or neuter, unless we already have it on file in the Clerk’s Office (if applying for the $10 licensing fee).  If you are unsure, please give the office a call and we can let you know what we have in our database.  Dog owners should note that the license(s) will not be returned unless a stamped, self-addressed envelope is included (the current postage will be printed on the dog license application).  For your information, Seekonk and Rehoboth will be teaming up again for our Annual Rabies Vaccination Clinic.  For scheduling purposes, the Rabies Clinic date will be Saturday, March 14th, 2020.  Our Seventh Annual Rabies Clinic will be held at the Seekonk Highway Department (corner of Route 44 & Lake Street) from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon.  Details will be printed in the 2020 Town Census mailer.

If you are returning your dog tag application, as well as your census forms, residents are asked to return their completed forms via mail, e-mail, or place their form in one of the “Census” containers located at the drop off locations mentioned earlier in this article. The containers will remain at these locations through the end of January for your convenience.

NOTE:  Residents are requested to please send in their census forms as quickly as possible regardless of whether or not they license their dogs at this time.

 ANNUAL TOWN ELECTION – APRIL 7, 2020

 The Annual Town Election for the Town of Rehoboth will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 with the polls open from 7 am to 8 pm.  All three precincts will be open.

For those who do not participate in a political party’s caucus process, nomination papers will be available as of January 2, 2020 for any registered voter in Rehoboth wishing to run for election on the Town ballot.  The nomination papers may be picked up by prospective candidates at the Town Clerk’s office and must be returned, signed by a minimum of 50* registered Rehoboth voters, to the Board of Registrars at the Town Clerk’s Office (148 Peck Street) by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 18th.

* The signature minimum changes after each gubernatorial election as per MGL Chapter 53 – Section 6.  The 11-6-18 election changed our minimum signature requirement for nomination papers from 38 to 50 (1% of the entire votes cast for governor at the preceding biennial state election ~ 5,154 x 1% = 52 ~ MGL 53:6 = maximum of 50 signatures for nominations of town office or regional district school elected positions).  

Positions to be elected on the ballot for 2020 are Moderator (one for 1 year), Selectmen (two positions for 3 years), Tax Collector (one for 3 years), Assessor (one for 3 years), School Committee (two for 3 years), Planning Board (one for 5 years), Park Commission (one for 5 years), Housing Authority (one for 5 years), and Water Commissioner (two for 3 years).

The final voter registration date, to be eligible to vote in the Annual Town Election, is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18th from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Town Clerk’s Office.

Prospective voters are reminded that they may also register to vote online at www.RegisterToVoteMA.com , by calling the Town Clerk’s Office to request a Mail-In voter registration form, or download a form @ http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/Voter-reg-mail-in.pdf

ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUESTS

Applications for absentee ballots are available as of January 2nd and may be obtained from the Town Clerk’s Office or online @ https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/absentee/English-Absentee-Ballot-Application.pdf .   An absentee ballot may only be obtained by written request and with the voter’s original signature.   Filing deadline for an absentee ballot request for the April Annual Town Election is 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 6, 2020.

EARLY VOTING IN 2020

 2020 is going to be a busy election year!  Below please find a list of Election and Town Meeting dates for 2020.  Reminder, we changed our bylaws in 2019; therefore, Town Elections and Town Meetings will now be held on Tuesdays, in line with all State/Federal Elections. 

During 2020, we will have several Early Voting Sessions (State Legislature has voted to approve Early Voting for three elections; however, State Elections has not confirmed Presidential Primary or State Primary Early Voting Sessions – I will update the Early Voting dates in my Reporter article and on the Town website when “Official” word comes from the State).  Here are the potential Early Voting Periods:

Dates for Early Voting

Date of Actual Election

Type of Election

February 24 – February 28

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Presidential Primary Election

August 24 – August 28

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

State Primary Election

October 19 – October 30

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Presidential & State Election

URGENT ALERTS – NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

 Over the past few months, there has been a lot of important information that was provided to those residents who have signed up for the Town’s “Urgent Alerts” and “Subscribe to News”.  The Town’s “Official” notification site is Rehoboth’s town website @ www.town.rehoboth.ma.us .  If important information needs to get to the residents of the Town, we use the front page of the Town’s website; either under “News and Announcements” or “Urgent Alerts” to notify our residents.  Once the information is posted to the website, we send those residents, who have “Subscribed to News”, an e-mail alerting them of the updated important information.  Also, on the front of the Town website is a current listing of all public meetings under the “Meetings” tab, which is next to the “News” tab, in the center of the Town’s homepage.  If you would like to be notified of upcoming meetings, urgent alerts, or news and announcements posted on the Town website, simply click on the “Subscribe to News” under the “Citizen Action Center” on the left side of the home page ( www.town.rehoboth.ma.us ) and complete all the requested information.  For step-by-step directions on how to subscribe, please either click on “How to Subscribe to News & Alerts” under “Subscribe to News” in the “Citizen Action Center” or follow this link:

https://www.town.rehoboth.ma.us/sites/rehobothma/files/uploads/rehoboth-subscribenews-directions.pdf

Please do not rely solely on social media or rumors regarding important Town matters.  All “Official” Town of Rehoboth alerts, meetings, and news are posted on the Town Website and sent to all subscribers to News and Alerts via the e-mail address they provide.  Please “be in the know” by signing up for Subscribe to News & Alerts ~ thank you.

TOWN OFFICES CLOSED

 The Town Offices will be closed on Tuesday, December 24th and Wednesday, December 25th, 2020, in observance of the Christmas Holiday.  Offices will also close at Noon (12:00 p.m.) on Tuesday, December 31st due to New Year’s Eve.

Lynn and I would like to wish you all a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season!  We wish peace and prosperity to all Rehoboth residents for the New Year.  It is truly an honor to serve as your Town Clerk.  Thank you for a wonderful year and past six years!

Sincerely,
Laura & Lynn

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