Jesse Floyd
The most famous finish in April is the left turn from Hereford Street onto Boylston at the end of the Boston Marathon. The second most famous, at least in Belmont, arrives Tuesday with the local elections.
The contests for moderator, select board, and school committee are joined on the ballot by two important questions: whether to pass the $8.4 million operating override and whether the town should appoint its board of assessors.
In an email, Town Clerk Ellen Cushman said she isn’t in the habit of predicting voter turnout but suspects the packed ballot could elevate the numbers.
“Feel free to thank an election worker! It’s a long day and they participate in training and are doing their best,” she wrote.
Where to vote
Polling places are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Precinct 1 [2294 voters]: Beth El Temple Center, Zonis Auditorium, 2 Concord Ave. [Voting moved because the library closed.]
Precinct 2 [2618]: Belmont Town Hall, Auditorium, 455 Concord Ave.
Precinct 3 [2283]: Beech Street Center (Senior Center), 266 Beech St.
Precinct 4 [2042]: Daniel Butler School, 90 White St.
Precinct 5 [2282]: Beech Street Center (Senior Center), 266 Beech St.
Precinct 6 [2547]: Belmont Fire Headquarters, 299 Trapelo Road
Precinct 7 [2267]: Burbank School gym, 266 School St.
Precinct 8 [2004]: Winn Brook School gym, 97 Waterhouse St. [Use the Cross Street entrance]
By the Numbers
According to Cushman, as of March 23, there are 18,337 registered voters in Belmont. March 23 was the last day to register.
“That number will change,” she wrote.
The Town Clerk received 4,400 requests for mail-in ballots, and as of March 23, she said about 1,000 had been returned.
Cushman said mail and absentee ballots are accepted at the Town Clerk’s drop box at the base of the stairs to Town Hall or in the Town Clerk’s office until polls close. Mail ballots are never accepted at a polling place, Cushman wrote.
People who requested a mail-in ballot are asked to try and submit it before 5 p.m. on election day. Every ballot has to be recorded in the clerk’s office and then sent to the correct precinct to be tabulated and run through the voting machine. The later the ballots, the later the results.
If you request a mail-in ballot and opt to vote in person, there could be delays as the election workers cross-check to ensure you haven’t voted twice.
Contests On the Ballot
Question 1:
Shall the Town of Belmont be allowed to assess an additional $8,400,000 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of supplementing the capital budget and the town and school operating budgets for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024?
Question 2:
Shall the Town vote to have its elected Board of Assessors become an appointed Board of Assessors of the Town?
Town Moderator (one seat)
Michael J. Widmer (incumbent)
Select Board (one seat)
Board of Assessors (one seat)
Patrick Murphy IV (incumbent)
Board of Cemetery Commissioners (one seat)
Ellen O’Brien Cushman (incumbent)
Board of Health (one seat)
David Dudzinski
Trustees of Public Library (two seats)
Corinne McCue Olmsted (incumbent)
Stephanie Cahoon
Municipal Light Board (two seats)
Stephen Klionsky (incumbent)
Michael MacRae (incumbent)
School Committee (two seats)
Meghan Moriarty (incumbent)
