Brookline Town Elections, Town Meeting Postponed To June

BROOKLINE, MA — Townwide elections and Town Meeting both originally scheduled for May have been postponed until June as the state grapples with the new coronavirus public health emergency, town officials announced Friday.

"The COVID-19 emergency has upended our way of life in a variety of ways, forcing us to make adjustments we might otherwise never anticipate," Town Administrator Kleckner said in a statement.

This week the governor extended a stay-at-home advisory to at least May 4. Election Day had previously been scheduled for May 5. Town Meeting was originally scheduled for May 19.

As of Thursday 57 Brookline residents had tested positive for cases of COVID-19 among residents in Brookline, as well as three cases among non-resident employees of the town, according to the Department of Brookline Public Health.

Across the state Thursday, of the more than 56,000 people tested, some 8,966 tested positive for the coronavirus and the death toll rose to 154.

The Select Board voted to postpone the election to Tuesday, June 9. Town Meeting will be held June 23.

Despite the election postponement, officials are encouraging voters to vote by absentee ballot in an effort to minimize gathering sizes at polling places.

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Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).