Arlington Select Board Decides Tentative Election Date

ARLINGTON, MA — The Select Board on Monday determined a new date for the Town Election after it was delayed from April 4 amid coronavirus concerns. The election will now be held Saturday, June 6 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., depending on the latest coronavirus updates in June.

Town Counsel Doug Heim said voters will be able to register up to 10 days from the updated election date. The regulations surrounding voting by absentee ballot have been relaxed so that people may now cite the coronavirus as a reason for absentee voting.

"Any person can participate if they can assert that health concerns due to COVID-19 are the reasons they want to participate by absentee ballot," Heim said.

There is a mechanism for someone who wants to change their absentee vote to do so before voting in person, but that must be done before the absentee ballot is counted, according to Heim.

Several candidates for office in Arlington co-signed a letter asking the Select Board to take action in light of the coronavirus's affect on the traditional campaigning process. This includes mailing statements from all candidates, posting billboards with information about the new election date and the availability of absentee ballots, holding virtual debates through ACMi and sending a mailer informing voters of the availability of absentee ballots.