Somerville Weighs Moving 5 Polling Places

SOMERVILLE, MA — The Somerville City Council will hold a special meeting Wednesday in which it will vote on moving five polling places for the Sept. 1 primary election and Nov. 3 general election.

Four of the changes are being considered to allow for COVID-19 safety precautions, while the fifth, which moves the polls from the Kennedy School to the Dilboy Post, was proposed in response to routing concerns voiced by pedestrians and drivers.

The public meeting will be held virtually, and will also include testimony on Tufts University's reopening plan. Members of the public can join the meeting live online with GoToWebinar, or by tuning in to Somerville City Cable TV (RCN 613 and 13, Comcast 22).

The polling place changes being voted on are as follows:

• Ward 3 Precinct 1
  • Current Location: Properzi Manor
  • Proposed Location: Central Library (79 Highland Ave.)
• Ward 3 Precinct 3
  • Current Location: The Dante Club
  • Proposed Location: The gym at St.Catherine of Genoa Parish (179 Summer St.)
• Ward 6 Precinct 1
  • Current Location: John F. Kennedy School
  • Proposed Location: George Dilboy Post (351 Summer St.)
• Ward 6 Precinct 3
  • Current Location: Holy Bible Baptist Church
  • Proposed Location: West Somerville Neighborhood School (177 Powder House Blvd.)
• Ward 7 Precinct 3
  • Current Location: Visiting Nurse Association at 405 Alewife Brook Pkwy.
  • Proposed Location: West Somerville Neighborhood School (177 Powder House Blvd.)

The Elections Department took into account factors such as handicap accessibility, proximity to the existing location and space requirements for social distancing when determining alternate locations. Election Commissioner Nicholas Salerno inspected each of the proposed locations and submitted his findings in the reports below, which are based on the Secretary of the Commonwealth's regulations for polling place accessibility (950 CMR 51:00).

• Ward 3 Precinct 1 Report
• Ward 3 Precinct 3 Report
• Ward 6 Precinct 1 Report
• Ward 6 Precinct 3 Report
• Ward 7 Precinct 3 Report

To find your polling location, use the city's lookup tool at www.somervillema.gov/MySomerville.

Vote by Mail

In July, a new law was passed in response to COVID-19 allowing all registered voters in Massachusetts to vote by mail in any 2020 election, with no excuse needed. All Massachusetts voters may choose to vote by mail in both the September 1 State primary and the November 3 general election this year.

All eligible voters who have not already requested an absentee ballot have been mailed a vote-by-mail ballot application.

Applications for a vote-by-mail ballot for the Sept. 1 primary must be received by the city's Elections Department by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Vote-by-mail applications for the November 3 General/Presidential election must be received by Oct. 28. However, the city encourages vote-by-mail applications to be returned to the Elections Department as early as possible. You may request a ballot for the Sept. 1 primary election, Nov. 3 general election, or both.
More information on voting by mail is available at www.somervillema.gov/Elections.

Important Election Dates and Deadlines

• August 22: Last day to register to vote or update your address or party affiliation, before the September 1 primary election.
• August 22-28: Early voting at City Hall for September 1 primary.
• August 26: Last day to return vote-by-mail application for the September 1 primary.
• October 24: Last day to register to vote or update your address or party affiliation before the Nov. 3 general/presidential election.
• October 28: Last day to return vote-by-mail application for the Nov. 3 general/presidential election.
• November 3: General/Presidential Election.

More Voter Information

Visit www.somervillema.gov/Elections for information on how to register to vote, see sample ballots, and find other related information. For more information on voting by mail, view the Voting by Mail FAQ at sec.state.ma.us, or contact the Elections Office at (617) 625-6600 x4200.