It was once said by a fellow town clerk that it is the work we do before an election that makes the election go smoothly. This is very true, but it doesn’t begin to acknowledge the support of so many people before, during, and after the election. I would like to thank the School Committee for supporting my request for a professional day on Election Day when more than 2,500 people voted in person. Thank you to the school for hosting us and to Scott Hoffman for making sure that we always had what we needed. Thank you to Mark Force and his staff for helping us set up the polling area and taking it down when we finished. Thank you to the DPW for transporting the equipment.
This first run of early voting, when none of us really knew what to expect, was an overwhelming success. Thank you so much to the Town Hall staff who graciously dealt with the huge volume of people that came to the Town Hall to vote. I appreciate your support and understanding.
Finally, I don’t know where to begin to thank all of our volunteer election officials. Their “payment” for the long hours they put in is knowing they are part of a very important process. Please extend a thank-you to these very special people if you know any of them.
Some of these special people have only been working elections for a couple months, and some of them were working before I started as town clerk 22 years ago. Many of them volunteered their time to help with early voting, and every one of them worked Election Day. Each and every one of them holds a special place in my heart. I would not have been able do my job over these many years without their incredible support. I will miss you all.
I would especially like to thank my wardens and election clerks, those individuals who run everything when I am not physically at the polls. Becky Gordon and Abbe Alpert, thank you for your dedication and support. Dennis Bradley and Janet Wilhelm, you have been with me from the start. I am at a loss of words to express my deepest gratitude to you. You are both amazing!
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Janet Vellante
Town clerk
