Melrose Mail-In Voting Gets Stamp Of Approval

MELROSE, MA — Mail-in voting has been a hit ahead of the state primary, a development that, along with early voting, will almost certainly thin out the Election Day turnout at the city's new consolidated polling place.

City Clerk Amy Kamosa told Patch Tuesday afternoon Melrose has received more than 7,100 mail-in applications and sent out nearly 5,000 ballots. (The ballots get sent out in the order the applications are received, so sit tight if you're still waiting.)

Applications need to be delivered to the elections office by Aug. 26. Residents can drop off their ballot at the new ballot box in between City Hall and the post office off Essex Street — the box is emptied several times per day. Mail-in voting application forms can be downloaded here.

Due to COVID-19 concerns, early voting is taking place at Memorial Hall, not the usual City Hall location. Early voting begins Sat., Aug. 22 — the same day as the deadline to register to vote.

Voters will check in and fill out their ballot at Memorial Hall before placing it in a special sealed envelope that they fill out with their name, address and signature. The ballots will be tabulated on Election Day.

The early voting schedule is as follows:

• Sat., Aug. 22 2 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Sun., Aug. 23 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Aug. 24-27 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
• Fri., Aug. 28 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Voters can still cast a ballot in person, just not at the usual eight polling places across the city. Election Day voting will take place at the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School gym. The entrance of the gym is off of Melrose Street, not the Lynn Fells Parkway.

The number of applications received is two-thirds the turnout from March's presidential primary. With a week left for mail-in voting and the first early voting window for a state primary still to come, the number of voters filling out a ballot before Election Day will continue to grow.

That means fewer people going to the 17,000-square-foot middle school gym, which should alleviate social distancing concerns on Election Day.

Related

• Melrose Polling Consolidation Raises Questions, Concerns
• Melrose To Review Procedures After Thousands Left Off Voting List

Seniors who need help getting to early voting or the middle school gym can call 781-665-4304 to schedule a ride with the Council on Aging.

Other questions should be directed to the elections office at elections@cityofmelrose.org or 781-979-4125.