Monday, October 12, 2020 (Indigenous Peoples' Day) by Carol Britton Meyer
Whether participating in absentee, early, vote-by-mail, or in-person voting on the November 3 State-Presidential election, every vote counts!
Visit https://www.hingham-ma.gov/428/Election-Voter-Information for a complete guide to how to register to vote; absentee, early- and Election Day in-person voting information; voting by mail; to view the election ballots; and to check which precinct you are in, poll locations, and other details. Also refer to the "Massachusetts Information for Voters/2020 Ballot Questions" booklet with the red, white, and black cover that was mailed to all registered voters. The booklet includes a voter checklist on page 23 for those who plan to vote at the polls.
There are two ballot questions: the first relates to requiring that motor vehicle owners and independent repair facilities be provided with expanded access to mechanical data related to vehicle maintenance and repair; the second ballot question relates to the implementation of a "ranked-choice voting" system in which Massachusetts voters would rank one or more candidates by order of preference. Refer to the "Information for Voters" booklet for full details on both sides of the issue.
Important facts:
- Voter registration: The deadline to register for the November election is Saturday, October 24, 2020.
- Online registration: Visit this link to register.
- In-person registration: Registration will be available on Saturday, October 24, from 2-4pm and again from 7-8pm in the Town Clerk's Office.
- Early voting: The Town Clerk will hold in-person early voting at Town Hall, located at 210 Central Street, in the Central Meeting Room on the second floor starting October 17 and running through October 30. Check this link for dates and times. Note: no other offices will be open.
- Vote-by-mail: The Town Clerk's Office is in the process of mailing Vote-by-Mail ballots to residents who applied for them."The postmaster has informed us that the mailed ballots will not be leaving the town." According to Town Clerk Eileen McCracken, "They will be sorted in the Hingham Post Office and will not be sent out of town for distribution."Hingham residents who wish to hand-deliver their mail-in-ballots to Town Hall may do so by placing them in the marked drop box at the end of the Town Hall driveway at 210 Central St.
Polling places are as follows:
- Precincts 1 through 4: Hingham High School, located at 17 Union Street.
- Precincts 5 and 6: Hingham Middle School, located at 1103 Main Street.
- Precinct 5A: Linden Ponds, located at 201 Linden Ponds Way in Willard Square.
