Elections

The Town Clerk’s functions regarding elections are many and varied.

 

The Town Clerk prepares the ballot for the voting machines and for the absentee ballots.  An official list of candidates is prepared and forwarded to the Secretary of the State.  The Town Clerk must keep the Secretary of State informed as to any vacancies in an elective office whether by death or resignation.  Boards, Commissions and Committees are responsible for notifying the Town Clerk’s office when a position has been vacated or filled.  They need to send letters of resignation to the Town Clerk for filing.  This is vital to the integrity of the balloting process.  She also notifies the Secretary when a vacancy in an elective office has been filled.

 

Chairmen of Town Committees must be kept informed of many things in the months preceding an election.  They need to know what offices are open in order to find candidates to fill those slots.

 

Absentee ballots are issued by this office.  There is an application process first.  Then if all is in order, the ballot may be issued.  Ballots are returned to the Town Clerk for delivery to the polls.  There is a strict accounting of all absentee ballot applications and all absentee ballots issued.

 

It is the responsibility of this office and the office of the Registrar of Voters to order all supplies needed to hold an election or a referendum.

 

On Election Night, the Town Clerk must be in her office to receive the results of the voting from the polling place.  The votes are tallied by the Head Moderator and staff before the numbers are released.  By State Statute it is the Town Clerk’s duty to declare a person elected.  Simply because someone receives more votes than another does not mean that he is elected.  Minority representation must be taken into consideration so that not too many persons of one party control a board or commission.  

 

The results of these elections are then put into a permanent record book for posterity.

 

The same goes for a referendum.  The results are tallied in the same way as a regular election.

 

Voter registration cards are obtained in this office or from the Registrar of Voters. Voter registration can also be completed online with the link found on both the Registrar of Voters and Town Clerk's web page.