Brookline Town Election 2019: Voter Guide

BROOKLINE, MA — Tuesday is election day, and Brookline voters will get their chance to cast votes in several key local races in town -from School Committee to Select Board. There is also a ballot question about the schools, that has caused some heated discussions.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on May 7.

>> Check here for Election Day results and to see how turnout was.

Important Information For Voters

The deadline to register to vote in the election has passed. You can check your voting status on the Secretary of State's Website. You can also use the Website to find your polling place. If you missed the deadline to register to vote, make sure you register for future elections.

The following is a list of polling places for Brookline by precinct this year:

All polling places are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Absentee Ballots

The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is noon on the day before the election, according to the Massachusetts Secretary of State. Absentee ballots can be requested from the City Clerk in writing, by either the voter or a family member. Absentee ballots are available to people who will be out of town during the hours the polls are open, have a physical disability preventing them from going to the polling place, or a religious belief.

The easiest way to request an absentee ballot is to fill out a Massachusetts Absentee Ballot Application and return it to the town clerk's office.

Who's on the ballot?

Select board:

There are three candidates running for one spot, after Select Board Chairperson Neil Wishinsky steps off the board. This is a three-year appointment.

• Raul Fernandez
• Richard Nangle
• Isaac Silberberg

School Committee:

Four people are running for three slots. This is a three-year appointment.

• Helen Charlupski (incumbent)
• Susan Wolf Ditkoff (incumbent)
• David Pollack (current chairperson)
• Sharon Abramowitz

Housing Authority:

Two women are running for one spot. This is a five-year appointment.

• Joanne Sullivan (Incumbent)
• Deborah Brown

Constables:

Six people are running for five slots. This is a three-year appointment.

• Joseph Figler (Incumbent)
• Neil Gordon (Incumbent)
• Stanley Rabinovitz (Incumbent)
• Regina Frawley
• Earnest Frey
• Kristine Knauf

Town Meeting Members:

There are contested races in less than half the precincts, when it comes to electing the towns legislators for three-year terms.

Precinct 1 is the most contested with nine people running for five slots. After that Precinct 12 has eight folks running for five seats.

Precincts 2, 3, 8, 11, 13 and 14 also have contested races.

BALLOT ISSUES

Voters will be asked to decide Tuesday whether the town should raise taxes (higher than 2.5 percent of what was paid last year) to pay for the Driscoll School renovation and the ninth school at Baldwin. The wording:

"Shall the Town of Brookline be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so-called, the amounts required to pay for the bonds issued in order to reconstruct and enlarge the existing school on the site of the Driscoll School property and to reconstruct and enlarge the existing school on the site of the Baldwin School Property?"

Other help?

Watch the League of Women Voters' Q&A with candidates here:

Each year the league puts together a non-partisan guide meant to help voters. Here's a look:

Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow her on Twitter (@ReporterJenna) and Instagram (/ReporterJenna).