Town Council - Ways & Means Committee

Braintree Town Council MEMBERS Meredith Boericke, Chairwoman Committee of Ways & Means Peter Morin, Vice-Chairman One JFK Memorial Drive Joseph Reynolds, Member Braintree, Massachusetts 02184 Julia Flaherty, Member Elizabeth Maglio, Member MINUTES Tuesday, February 4, 2025 A meeting of the Committee of Ways & Means was held in Johnson Chambers on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at 6:30pm. Councilor Boericke was in the Chair. Clerk of the Council, Susan Cimino conducted the roll call. Present: Meredith Boericke, Chairwoman Peter Morin, Vice-Chairman Julia Flaherty, Member Elizabeth Maglio, Member Joseph Reynolds, Member Also Present: James M. Casey, Town Clerk Eric Cocca, Principal Clerk Approval of Minutes • None Old Business • None February 4, 2025 Ways & Means Committee 1 of 6 New Business • 25 001 Town Clerk: Votes Act of 2022 – Early Vote by Mail Opt-Out Provision or take up any action relative thereto Town Clerk Casey explained the following information is coming to the committee 9 months prior to the election due to the need to know if he should add additional funding to his FY26 budget or not. BACKGROUND State legislators passed the “Votes Act of 2022” which expanded Early Voting In-Person (EVIP) and Early Voting by Mail (EVBM) to include local elections, with opt-out and opt-in provisions - decided by local officials. This report is intended to address actions that may be available to the Town Council in the following areas for the upcoming Local Election: 1) Early Voting In-Person – No action required…reference Board of Registrars recommendation below 2) Early Voting By Mail – Action required a. Provide Town Clerk with FY2026 Budget guidance and Election Day Planning EARLY VOTING IN-PERSON In-person Early Voting is not required for local elections • Town Council has opportunity to opt-in at least 45 days prior to Election Day… • But, only upon recommendation from at least 50% of the board of registrars • Vote to opt-in would be required to be taken by September 19th (Friday) • Requires a roll-call vote of council If municipality opts-in to in-person early voting… • The period may begin not sooner than 17 days prior to the election and end not later than 2 business days before the election during their normal business hours • Unless different hours are set as part of the vote to allow early in-person voting, including any weekend hours • Example – November 4, 2025, Local Election: the early voting period could start as th early as Saturday, October 18th (17 day prior) and conclude on Friday, November 1st nd (2 business day prior) • However, the early voting period could be less if specified as part of the vote • A separate roll-call vote must be taken for each election they want to opt- in Recommendation: No Action Required – On Thursday, January 23, 2025, members of the Board of Registrars held a duly posted meeting and, by a unanimous decision, voted not to opt-in for EVIP for the November 4, 2025 Local Election: citing historical low voter turnout for local elections as well as voters’ ability to cast a ballot, in-person or by mail, via absentee ballot. February 4, 2025 Ways & Means Committee 2 of 6 EARLY VOTING BY MAIL Is required for all elections, including special elections and primaries, • Unless the town council votes to opt-out at least 45 days prior to the election • Vote to opt-out would be required to be taken by September 19th (Friday) • Requires a roll-call vote of council • The deadline to receive an application for mail-in ballot (EV or AV) for the November 4, 2025 th Local Election is the 5 business day (Tuesday, October 28th) prior to the election • The deadline for an in-person absentee ballot continues to be noon the day before Election Municipalities are not required to send a Vote by Mail application to voters for local elections, except with new voter registration acknowledgment notices • Municipalities responsible for all costs • The Secretary of the Commonwealth will continue to pay for return ballot postage Recommendation: Given local election historical low voter turnout trends, continued availability of absentee voting by mail and in-person and FY2026 budget constraints it recommended that members of the town council exercise their opt-out option for the November 4, 2025 Local Election. Proposed Motion: Pursuant to the Votes Act of 2022 the Braintree Town Council will exercise their opt-out provision for early voting by mail for the November 4, 2025 Local General Election; or take any other action relative thereto. February 4, 2025 Ways & Means Committee 3 of 6  LOCAL ELECTION VOTER TURNOUT BY ELECTION TYPE 45.0 40.0 38.2 35.0 32.9 32.1 31.4 31.5 29.1 % Voter Turnout 30.0 27.4 [] 23.7 25.0 [] [] [] 20.0 17.8 [] 15.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 Elelction Type *COVID Since 2007, first election of the new government, a total of thirteen election have been held. Voter turnout during that period ranged from a high of 38.2% (first mayoral race) to a low of 14.2% (2017 – non-mayoral election). Over this 13-year election cycle the average voter turnout was at 26.2%. For the upcoming November 2025 Local Election, a non-Mayoral election, voter turnout ranged from a high of 25.2% (2009) to a low of 14.2% (2017) with an average over these four elections at 19.2%. As of the date of this report, the projected voter turnout for the November 2025 Local Election is 22%. February 4, 2025 Ways & Means Committee 4 of 6 The absence of “Early Voting (by mail/In-Person)” for local elections does not weaken a voter’s ability to cast their ballot prior to Election Day. Voters continue to have the option to vote by “Absentee Ballot”, by mail and/or in-person, prior to Election Day. February 4, 2025 Ways & Means Committee 5 of 6 It was stated Absentee Voting is still available to all voters and these ballots can be mailed to the voter or the voter can fill it out at the Town Clerk’s office until noon the day prior to the election. Motion read by Councilor Morin for favorable recommendation to the full Council: MOTION: Pursuant to the Votes Act of 2022 the Braintree Town Council will exercise their opt-out provision for early voting by mail for the November 4, 2025 Local General Election; or take any other action relative thereto. Motion: by Councilor Morin to approve Order 25 001 Second: by Councilor Flaherty Vote: For (5 – Boericke, Flaherty, Maglio, Morin, Reynolds), Against (0), Absent (0), Abstain (0) It was unanimously voted to adjourn the meeting at 7:05p.m. Respectfully submitted, Susan M. Cimino Clerk of the Council Documents provided for Meeting • 25 001 Town Clerk: Votes Act of 2022 – Early Vote by Mail Opt-Out Provision February 4, 2025 Ways & Means Committee 6 of 6