It’s November and at last the 2018 state and federal midterm elections are underway as voters head to Town Hall to vote early, file absentee ballots, or make plans to vote at Bromfield on Election Day, Nov. 6.
But while contests for state and congressional offices have dominated the news, it’s arguably Harvard’s low-key Special Town Election whose outcome could have the greatest impact on town residents.
Two candidates are vying for an open seat on the Select Board left vacant when member Ken Swanton resigned last summer. They are: Broadband Committee Chair and former Devens Economic Analysis Team member Noyan Kinayman, and Planning Board and former Economic Development Committee member Rich Maiore. The winner will serve out the rest of Swanton’s term, which expires in 2020.
The contest for Swanton’s seat is the first Select Board election since passage of the town charter, which assigns the five board members the tasks of creating a strategic plan and long-range goals for the town and then overseeing their implementation. The board has the power to appoint the members of the Planning Board, the Parks and Recreation Commission, and other formerly elected committees, and, within statutory limits, to direct their activities. Maiore and Kinayman participated in a one-hour Harvard League of Women Voters Forum two weeks ago; their statements and responses to moderator and audience questions are available for viewing at the Harvard Cable TV website. Biographies and candidate Q&As were published in the Oct. 26 issue of the Press.
Twelve contests, three ballot questions
In addition to deciding who gets to fill the empty Select Board seat, voters will elect a dozen federal, state and county officials, including Harvard’s representatives to the Massachusetts Legislature, the secretary of state, attorney general, and governor, and representatives to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. With three controversial questions also on this year’s ballot, Harvard voters have a lot to decide. Elsewhere in this issue look for our interviews with the three candidates running to represent the Massachusetts Third Congressional District, replacing retiring Nikki Tsongas.
Voting will take place this year in the Bromfield gymnasium. Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Upon registering, voters will be handed two ballots, one for the Special Town Election and a second for state and federal elections, including the three ballot questions. A sample state ballot appears below.
Seniors who need a ride to and from Bromfield should call the Council on Aging at 978-456-4120. COA Director Debbie Thompson says the COA van will be available from 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. and from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Seniors who come to the COA for lunch on Nov. 6 will be offered a ride in the van to and from Bromfield, but should call before 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, said Thompson. The COA is scheduled to close Friday, Nov. 2, and one or two days the following week to make way for Columbia Pictures. Check the town website for further details.
Voters who are unable to cast a ballot on election day can vote early at Town Hall or request an absentee ballot. Early voting began Monday, Oct. 22, and will continue at Town Hall until 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1.
Voters can pick up an absentee ballot at Town Hall until 7 p.m. Nov. 1. Town Hall is closed to the public on Friday, Nov. 2, but, for procrastinators, absentee ballots will be available Nov. 5 at the Harvard police station at 40 Ayer Road from 8 a.m. until 12 noon. Absentee ballots must be returned to the town clerk before the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Town Clerk Marlene Kenney says that on election day, Nov. 6, last-minute absentee voters must bring their ballots to her at the Bromfield School.
