A Guide to the Newton Override Special Election

Five months after Newton Mayor Setti Warren first proposed his override plan, local voters will head to the polls today and decide whether to support the $11.4 million tax override package. 

Polls are open today from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (locations listed below).

Newton Patch will bring you special election updates throughout the day today, and the results will be posted on Patch as soon as the ballots are tallied.  

Below is a guide to today's special election, with all that you need to know before heading out to the polls:

The Three Questions

There are three separate tax override questions on today's ballot, including an $8.4 million operating override and two debt exclusion overrides for the rebuilding of Angier and Cabot elementary schools. The questions are worded as follows:

1. Levy limit override question: "Shall the city of Newton be allowed to assess an additional $8,400,000 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purpose of funding municipal and school operating and capital expenses to support increased student enrollment, fund street and sidewalk paving, fund public safety personnel, address the condition and capacity of Zervas Elementary School, fund the relocation of Fire Department Wires Division and fund the replacement of Fire Headquarters and Fire Station 3 in Newton Centre for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013?" (Yes/No)
2. Debt exclusion ballot question: "Shall the city of Newton be allowed to exempt from the provisions of Proposition 2 1/2, so called, the amounts required to pay for bonds issued in order to renovate or replace the A.E. Angier Elementary School?" (Yes/No)
3. Debt exclusion ballot question: "Shall the city of Newton be allowed to exempt from the provisions of Proposition 2 1/2, so called, the amounts required to pay for bonds issued in order to renovate or replace the Cabot Elementary School? (Yes/No)

News coverage on the override

Make sure you check our Newton override page for full coverage on the Newton override. Here you will find letters to the editor, blog posts, meeting coverage, information on the proposals and more.

Letters to the editor and blog posts

• If you're looking for opinion pieces and letters to the editor for/against the override, check out our Letters to the Editor column. 

• You can also browse through the Newton Patch Local Voices blog section and find a number of override-related posts. 

• A few locals posted videos to make their case for/against the override -- you can watch those 1-minute video pitches here.

Live special election results

• Newton Patch will be posting the election results on our homepage as soon as the votes are tallied. If you sign up for our breaking news alerts, you will get the results delivered to your inbox.

• The Newton Election Commission will be posting the results live on the city's website as the numbers are verified.

• NewTV will also be broadcasting the special election results live on Comcast 9, Verizon 33, RCN 13 and live streaming online. Panelists Ron Lipof, Matthew Hills and Joshua Norman will be joining Newton News' host Jenn Adams to discuss the three ballot questions and the results.

How much will I pay?

City officials have posted a calculator that can estimate the tax increase homeowners will see if all three overrides pass. 

What's the difference between a levy limit override and debt exclusion?

The state provides an online primer with details on tax levy limit overrides and debt exclusion overrides.

Ballots

Wondering what the ballots will look like? A .pdf is included in the media section above (below the photo).

Polling locations

Polls will be open today from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Below is a list of all the polling locations in the city. If you're not sure what ward/precinct you are in, use this handy online tool from the Newton Election Commission to verify your polling location.

Ward 1
Precinct 1: Lincoln-Eliot Elementary School, 191 Pearl St.
Precinct 2: Fire Station #1, 241 Church St.
Precinct 3: Bigelow Middle School, 42 Vernon St.
Precinct 4: Pellegrini Playground Fieldhouse, 11 Hawthorn St.

Ward 2
Precinct 1: Horace Mann Elementary School, 687 Watertown St.
Precinct 2: Cabot Elementary School, 229 Cabot St.
Precinct 3: Newton Senior Center, 345 Walnut St.
Precinct 4: Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St. 

Ward 3
Precinct 1: Newton Community Service Center, 492 Waltham St.
Precinct 2: Peirce Elementary School, 170 Temple St.
Precinct 3: Newton Community Service Center, 492 Waltham St.
Precinct 4: Franklin Elementary School, 125 Derby St.

Ward 4
Precinct 1: Burr Elementary School, 171 Pine St.
Precinct 2: Hamilton (Lower Falls) Community Center, 545 Grove St.
Precinct 3: Williams Elementary School, 141 Grove St.
Precinct 4: Burr Elementary School, 171 Pine St.

Ward 5
Precinct 1: Emerson Community Center, 51 Pettee St.
Precinct 2: Hyde Community Center, 90 Lincoln St.
Precinct 3: Zervas Elementary School, 30 Beethoven Ave.
Precinct 4: Zervas Elementary School, 30 Beethoven Ave.

Ward 6
Precinct 1: Bowen Elementary School, 280 Cypress St.
Precinct 2: Weeks House, 7 Hereward Road
Precinct 3: Hyde Community Center, 90 Lincoln St.
Precinct 4: Mason-Rice Elementary School, 149 Pleasant St.

Ward 7
Precinct 1: Church of the Redeemer, 379 Hammond St.
Precinct 2: Bigelow Middle School, 42 Vernon St. 
Precinct 3: Ward Elementary School, 10 Dolphin Road
Precinct 4: Ward Elementary School, 10 Dolphin Road

Ward 8
Precinct 1: Oak Hill Middle School, 130 Wheeler Rd.
Precinct 2: Memorial-Spaulding Elementary School, 250 Brookline St.
Precinct 3: Countryside Elementary School, 191 Dedham St.
Precinct 4: Shuman Community Center, 675 Saw Mill Brook Parkway

How YOU can contribute

• We'll be posting an update from the polls during the day where you can comment on the story with the number ballot you were at your precinct. This will let readers know how many Newton residents are getting out there to vote.

• You can also upload photos from polling locations to any of our election coverage stories. Just click the "add your photos" link below the story's photo box. Or, you can upload to our community photo gallery. 

• Use our iPhone app to comment on stories and post photos to our election stories. 

• Post information and photos on our Facebook page. 

• Tweet us info, comments and election shout-outs @NewtonMAPatch

Get updates, get involved on social media

• We'll be posting updates from the polls on our social media sites throughout the day. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

• If you're looking for updates and election news in your email inbox, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletters as well as breaking news alerts.