League of Women Voters of Arlington

HOW TO RUN FOR TOWN MEETING

(Updated September 2018)

Town Elections for Arlington are usually the first Saturday in April. In addition to persons elected to serve the entire town (Selectmen, School Committee Members, etc.), some citizens will be elected to serve as Town Meeting Members from their own precinct. Arlington has 21 precincts and at least four persons are elected from each precinct every year. (All together Arlington has 252 Town Meeting Members, twelve from each precinct, with one-third elected each year.) Sometimes people move out of the precinct or resign before their term is up, so there are often additional openings for �unexpired terms� of one or two years in some of the precincts.

In some precincts there will be knowledgeable incumbents who have served for many years, but in recent years Arlington has had some precincts where there were not enough people on the ballot to fill all the available positions. There were also some new candidates who won over incumbents. So, why not consider representing your precinct?

 

ELIGIBILITY: Any registered voter in the town of Arlington is eligible.

 

TERM: Three years.  Some precincts will have one or two year terms available due to current town meeting resignations. You may run for the three-year term and any unexpired terms.

 

NOMINATING PETITION: New candidates must obtain nomination papers from the Town Clerk's office and should do so well before the deadline. The petition must be signed with 10 certifiable signatures from your precinct -- substantially as they are listed on the voting list--therefore it is advisable to collect 16 signatures in case some are disallowed. Signed petitions must be submitted to the Registrars of Voters in the Town Clerk�s office. It is possible to withdraw your name from the ballot later; observe that deadline.

 

RUNNING AS A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE:

Anyone eligible may decide to run as a write-in candidate if not on the ballot. This is most likely to be successful if there are open positions after the deadline for filing. Ask people to write your name and address on the ballot space indicated for write-in votes. It is helpful to give voters a card with the correct spelling of your name and your address or a printed sticker that they can paste on the write-in space.

 

PRECINCT MAPS: These are available at the Town Clerk�s office and online at https://www.arlingtonma.gov/home/showdocument?id=20510. To find out your precinct, go to http://www.sec.state.ma.us/wheredoivotema/.

 

VOTING LIST: Request a copy of the list of registered voters for your precinct when you file your nomination papers. A complimentary copy is available on computer disk once a candidate has filed to run. This list is useful for door-to-door canvassing. Lists that identify the voters in the last Town election are also available for a fee. You may also request a copy of the Arlington True List � this list is organized by precinct and within the precinct, alphabetically by street name and address.  The True List identifies all adults living in the town as of last year�s town census. It can be helpful in identifying supporters within your precinct.

 

HANDOUT: Most candidates have a sheet or card printed to advertise themselves.  If it is to be sent through the mail, it can be no smaller than 3.5" x 5.0" and no larger than 6.125" by 11.5". Include your name, address, length of residence in Arlington, public positions held, community activities and any message you wish to convey. You might indicate your intention to participate in Candidates Night. Endorsements can also be included. Supporters may wish to hand write messages and sign them.

 

WALKING THE PRECINCT: Nothing is more effective! Knock on doors; leave your handout. You will find that most people are either not at home or will simply take your card and say thank you. If they ask you questions, either answer them or promise to provide an answer later and remember to get back to them with accurate information.  You are not expected to know everything as a new candidate! DO NOT LEAVE YOUR HANDOUT IN THE MAILBOX. THIS IS ILLEGAL. You are liable for postage on every piece the Postal Service finds in this manner. Place it securely between doors, under the doormat, or in another obvious place. You want the voters to see your handout, but you do not want them angry because it litters their yards.

There are over 800 dwellings per precinct.  That�s a daunting number.  Many successful candidates pool their efforts by combining the distribution of handouts.  Each candidate takes a portion of the precinct and distributes the handouts for the group.  That way, the whole precinct can be covered with much less individual effort.

 

CANDIDATES NIGHT: Traditionally scheduled on a Thursday evening in March at Town Hall and run by the LWV of Arlington and Vision 2020. You and your fellow Town Meeting Member candidates can meet with constituents at designated locations in Town Hall.  You should be familiar with the warrant and be aware of the major issues facing the town, especially if it directly affects your precinct. It is acceptable to say that you have not made up your mind on a particular issue.

 

NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS: Contact your neighborhood organization, if you have one, and ask if they have a candidate�s night.

 

COFFEE PARTIES: You can organize your own in homes in the precinct. You might attend parties given for town-wide candidates and ask if you can introduce yourself as a Town Meeting candidate.

 

CANDIDATE ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The Arlington Advocate :Letters from candidates and supporters will be considered for publication if they address specific campaign issues; letters should be 400 words or less and must include the writer�s name, address and phone number. The writer must be a resident of Arlington. Readers may submit one letter every four weeks to be considered for publication. The newspaper�s policy historically has been that no letters of endorsement or letters that raise allegations or new charges against a candidate are published in the last issue before Election Day.

 

TELEPHONING: Another way to let people in your precinct know that you are running.

 

STAND AT THE POLLS ON ELECTION DAY: Stand at the polling place with a sign, or handouts, or both. You must be 150 feet from the nearest entrance � usually marked by a white hash mark on the sidewalk or a nearby tree. If the 150-foot mark is not obvious, ask the policeman on duty where to stand. You may not leave your sign unattended.  You will probably have company.  DRESS VERY WARMLY in layers � and don�t forget gloves.

 

ELECTION RETURNS:  All citizens are allowed to observe the counting of ballots at the polling places, but they must be inside before 8:00 p.m. when the doors are locked.  Ask a poll worker where you may stand. Preliminary results from the AccuVote machine should be read aloud and the tape posted on a wall where it can be seen until counting is complete. (The tape looks like a cash register receipt.)  Write in votes are recorded and then final returns are announced.  Returns of each precinct are also read aloud in the Town Clerk's office as election officials bring materials there.  Cable TV may show the scene as it unfolds in the Town Clerk's office.

 

THE JOB:   

�     Inform yourself about Town government.

�     Inform yourself about warrant articles.

�     Attend information meetings, hearings.

�     Attend all sessions of Town Meeting. They begin at 8:00 PM and go to 11:00 PM Mondays and Wednesdays, beginning on the announced Monday and continuing until all articles have been acted upon.

�     Get to know the other Town Meeting Members from your precinct. They will meet during the first or second session to elect officers.

�     Listen to the concerns of your constituents and let them know what you think about issues.

�     Attend related meetings and keep informed.

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Town Warrant. The Warrant is inserted into the Arlington Advocate for those who subscribe and mailed to other households at least 7 days before Election Day. The Town Election is Article I of the Town Warrant.

The Board of Selectmen endorses or withholds endorsement on specific warrant articles as do other town committees including the Finance Committee, the Redevelopment Board, the Conservation Commission, the Parks and Recreation Committee.  These reports as well as other outside reports from citizen groups like the League of Women Voters are distributed at Town meeting.

 

The School Committee sponsors a meeting for the presentation of the school budget; all Town Meeting members are invited to attend.

 

Annual Town Report. The Town Report contains detailed information about town income, expenditures, and department operations.  Previous reports are available at the library and the Planning Office in the Town Hall Annex.

 

Selectmen-Town Manager Act. At the library or the town offices or at https://www.arlingtonma.gov/home/showdocument?id=2778.