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In my last newsletter update from early December, I had some initial information on upcoming special elections, but I have much more concrete details now, which everyone should know.
In November, the City Council was reduced by two members with the untimely passing of Councilor Jay Ciccone (Ward 1 at-large) and the departure of Councilor Jake Auchincloss (Ward 2 at-large) for Congress.
In December, City Council approved the 2 citywide special City Council elections to be held on Tuesday March 16, 2021. (The 3rd Tuesday.) If there is a snow emergency on the date of the special election, the city will seek a court order to postpone it by several days to allow more people to come vote in person. This is a more common problem in western Mass than here, but it is standard procedure when it happens.
Any Newton voters can vote in both of these elections because at-large Council seats (unlike my own seat) are elected citywide. There will not be any runoff or preliminary election unlike a typical city election with multiple candidates.
City elections are conducted differently from the state & federal elections we just went through this past year. The state has approved 3 methods of voting in this election during the pandemic.
Vote-by-mail: You must proactively request a mail ballot from the city by March 10 (and given the recent pace of USPS, I would suggest requesting it right away). They will not be sending reminders, unlike last year’s elections. You can download and print a form called “2021-Vote-by-Mail-Application fillable” to apply from the City’s new Elections website. You will then be mailed a ballot with a double-envelope (one inner envelope to keep your ballot secret and one outer envelope with your name for processing its receipt to prevent double-voting) which you can either mail back or drop in the secure white dropboxes outside City Hall, before the election ends at 8 PM on March 16.
Over-the-counter early voting: You will also be able to go with a mask into City Hall to the Clerks’ Office between Monday, March 8, 2021 and Friday, March 12, 2021 (between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm) to cast a ballot early over-the-counter. This will be similar to in-person absentee voting in the past, but technically it will be considered early voting this time.
Regular in person voting with covid protocols: Vote with a mask at your normal polling location on March 16, 2021 between the hours of 7:00 am and 8:00 pm.
Additional information:
This is a very short campaign cycle and it’s hard to get to know the candidates running. As I noted in December, I am supporting Madeline Ranalli and Bryan Barash for the Ward 1 and Ward 2 seats respectively. Bryan and Madeline earned my support because they are proven leaders with the experience to build coalitions and pass legislation that embodies Newton’s values. At this critical moment, when so many are looking to our local government to find solutions, it is essential that we elect new councilors who have a track record of using the tools of government to effect positive change.
Bryan is deeply committed to public service and has decades of local, state, and national political activism. He knows how to use the tools of government to make a positive impact on the lives of the people of Newton. Bryan will use his experience serving on the Newton Human Rights Commission, the Board of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, the Board of the New Art Center, and in state government as General Counsel to State Senator Harriette Chandler to represent us and fight for environmental sustainability, affordable housing, racial justice, and supporting our schools.
Madeline has served as the Political Director of March For Our Lives: Massachusetts for the past two years where she lobbies at the State House for gun violence prevention legislation, and previously worked at the Mass. Department of Energy in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, focusing on state and local partnerships for climate disaster resilience.
We can trust Bryan and Madeline will continue to find solutions to Newton’s challenges on the City Council because that is what they are already doing. I have known Bryan closely for six years now, and I have gotten to know Madeline over the course of this past year. The time that I have spent with Bryan and Madeline has proven to me that they will be thoughtful, hard working, and compassionate City Councilors.
I will have another newsletter out soon to cover other recent important meetings and events, but this one had a lot of technical details, so I will leave it at that for today.
If you would like to meet Madeline and Bryan virtually, and hear more about why I am supporting them, please join me, Nanci Ginty Butler, Lisa Keshet, Melissa Kogut, Kerry Prasad, former City Councilor John Rice, and former School Committee Member Susan Rosenbaum for a virtual house party on Tuesday January 19 at 7 PM. That’s a week from today.
Come and meet City Council Candidates Bryan Barash and Madeline Ranalli, learn about their activism and experience, and ask questions about the future of Newton! Zoom RSVP required. (If you can’t make it to that event, there’s another one hosted by other people nearly every day. You can find a list here.)