"The Town Clerk’s office has been hard at work preparing for ballot testing this week. All of our tabulators have been tested for accuracy & have been confirmed as ready for voters! In-person voting for the State Primary Election is 9/6/22 at Franklin High School from 6 AM - 8 PM"
Providing accurate and timely information about what matters in Franklin, MA since 2007. * Working in collaboration with Franklin TV and Radio (wfpr.fm) since October 2019 *
Friday, August 26, 2022
Town Clerk's office completes testing of the voting machines
Sunday, August 21, 2022
Town of Franklin early voting schedule for the September State Primary
- August 27 9am-3pm
- August 29 9am-3pm
- August 30 9am-3pm
- August 31 9am-5pm
- September 1 9am-3pm
- September 2 8am-12pm
Town of Franklin early voting schedule for the September State Primary |
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
Notice from the Office of the Town Clerk regarding Early In Person Voting
The Franklin High School in person early voting dates are as follows...
August 27 9am-3pm
August 29 9am-3pm
August 30 9am-3pm
August 31 9am-5pm
September 1 9am-3pm
September 2 8am-12pm
You may also vote early in person at the Franklin Municipal Building Monday through Thursday from 8am-4pm and Friday from 8am-1pm, now until September 2nd, 2022.
Friday, August 5, 2022
Nancy Danello, Franklin Town Clerk talks about the Election Process - 08/03/22 (audio)
This shares my conversation with Town Clerk Nancy Danello. We met in the Town Clerk office in the Franklin Municipal Building to discuss the overall election process. The overall process is functionally the same for the State Primary and for the regular November election. The cutoff dates, the early voting dates, and the election dates will change but the process remains basically the same.
We cover the following key topics
Vote by mail and early voting now permanent per State legislation
“Independent” voters need to check the box for which primary ballot they want (Democrat or Republican, don’t need to make that choice for the November election)
If you are registered with a party and you want the other party's primary ballot, checking the box is not sufficient. You need to submit a “part change form” to get the other party ballot.
Vote by mail process walked through, similar to in person voting whether early or day of
Validation of machine tallies to be scheduled
Only the total of voters casting ballots are tallied each day of early voting
Early and absentee ballots to be process during the Primary day
Vote totals at the close Primary Day will be “unofficial” until certified within the next 3 days to become official vote results
The show notes include links to the Town Clerk page and other election information.
Our conversation runs about 28 minutes, so let’s listen in to my conversation with Nancy. Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-834-franklin-ma-town-clerk-on-the-election-process-08-03-22
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Town Clerk’s page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk
Register to vote -> https://www.sec.state.ma.us/OVR/
State Primary early voting schedule -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/news/state_primary_early_voting_schedule.pdf
Vote by mail process diagram -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/news/vote_by_mail_process.pdf
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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
How can you help?
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don't like something here, please let me know
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.
I hope you enjoy!
------------------
You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
Nancy Danello, Franklin Town Clerk |
Sunday, July 31, 2022
Multiple updates discussed with Town Clerk Nancy Danello in advance of the Sep 6 State Primary -07/26/22 (audio)
FM #833 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 833 in the series.
This shares my conversation with Town Clerk Nancy Danello and Dyan Fitzgerald, Deputy Town Clerk. We met in the Town Clerk office in the Franklin Municipal Building to discuss the preparation for the State Primary election scheduled for Sep 6, 2022.
We cover the following key topics
Vote by mail and early voting now permanent per State legislation
Town Council required to approve the schedule and police detail before each election
Secretary of the Commonwealth mailed vote by mail cards to registered voters
“Independent” voters need to check the box for which primary ballot they want (Democrat or Republican, don’t need to make that choice for the November election)
Early voting schedule being approved by Secretary of the Commonwealth
in Town Clerk’s office during normal business hours
Effectively one week before the Sep 6 primary at FHS
Absentee ballot applications available now
State Primary Day - Sep 6, 2022
The show notes include links to the Town Clerk page and other election information.
Our conversation runs about 14 minutes, so let’s listen in to my conversation with Nancy and Dyan. Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-833-town-clerk-updates-on-the-state-primary-election-sep-2022-07-26-22
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Town Clerk’s page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk
Register to vote -> https://www.sec.state.ma.us/OVR/
Sample ballots for Sep 6 -> https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/news/state-primary-9-6-2022-sample-ballots
In person early voting schedule for State Primary -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/news/state_primary_early_voting_schedule.pdf
9 precincts for Franklin -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/2022_precinct_map.pdf
New vote by mail drop off box at Municipal Building -> https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/news/new-vote-mail-drop-box
-------------
We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
How can you help?
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don't like something here, please let me know
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.
I hope you enjoy!
------------------
You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
new vote by mail drop off box at the Municipal Building |
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
“We were confident all along that this attempt to block the VOTES Act was meritless”
"THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT will uphold the VOTES Act, the new law that allows Massachusetts residents to vote early by mail for any reason.
The court on Monday announced that it will reject a challenge by a group of Massachusetts Republican Party leaders and side entirely with Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin to keep the law intact for the 2022 election cycle. "
Saturday, September 12, 2020
Election recap: Statewide in MA 47 percent of voters voted by mail
"Faced with a historic number of voters, the Sept. 1 Massachusetts primary avoided the weeks-long delays that beset some New York elections. Officials said there is no apparent rash of potential fraud, as officials in Georgia are investigating. “Very positive” is how the state’s top elections officer described the experience.It was also, in effect, a test run.With less than eight weeks until the Nov. 3 general election, the scramble to distribute millions of vote-by-mail applications is beginning anew, and local clerks — some of whom struggled with the deluge of primary ballots — are girding for a turnout that could be double, if not more, than the record-setting 1.7 million ballots cast in the primary.That expected flood is partially the result of the newly expanded option to vote by mail, a route nearly 813,000, or roughly 47 percent of voters, took for the Sept. 1 primary, according to data provided by state officials. And about 1.4 million people have already requested mail-in ballots for the general election, and Secretary of State William F. Galvin’s office expects that number to grow as additional mailings asking if voters want a ballot begin to go out."
Election recap: Statewide in MA 47 percent of voters voted by mail |
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Franklin, MA: Primary Results - Sep 1, 2020
Party | Voters |
Democrat | 7156 |
Green | 16 |
Libertarian | 43 |
Republican | 1874 |
Total | 9089 |
Franklin, MA: Primary Results - Sep 1, 2020 |
Saturday, September 5, 2020
Primary day election update 9/5/20
"The results from the State Primary will be certified and posted by the Secretary of State's Office on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Please contact the Secretary's Office with any questions at (617) 727-2828."
Primary day election update 9/5/20 |
Commonwealth Magazine: "Voting reforms reinvigorated democracy"
From CommonWealth Magazine we share two articles of interest for Franklin:
"When the Legislature passed an unprecedented expansion of mail-in voting, they did it for this year only, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that makes crowding into polling places unsafe.
But now, amid record-breaking turnout in this week’s primary, some are calling for mail-in voting to become a permanent feature of Massachusetts elections.
“Voter turnout in the September 1 primary makes one thing abundantly clear– vote by mail should be here to stay,” said Cheryl Clyburn Crawford, executive director of MassVOTE, a coalition that aims to expand voting access, in a statement.
The last time turnout in a state primary election topped 1 million was in 1990, when 1.5 million people voted. This year, Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin says that turnout will be more than 1.5 million, although he still did not have a final number. "
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/the-download/is-mail-in-voting-here-to-stay-2/
"AT THE START of July, the Legislature passed a landmark bill to expand early voting, implement a secure vote-by-mail system, and strengthen safety measures for in-person voting. Tuesday’s primary was the first major test of these important reforms. They worked.More people voted in this year’s state primary than ever before. According to preliminary data, over 1.6 million voters cast ballots, totaling more than a third of all registered voters. In recent state primaries, fewer than 1 million voters have showed up at the polls, with voter participation rates mired in the teens and low twenties. This year, several competitive races for Congress helped increase voter participation, but the high turnout was also a product of Massachusetts’ new election laws. In the face of an ongoing pandemic, Massachusetts did not simply protect voting rights—we reinvigorated our democracy.The Legislature’s voting reforms gave voters several different ways to cast their ballot. For the first time in the history of the Commonwealth, voters had the choice to vote by mail, to vote in person during a week-long early voting window, or to vote in person on the day of the election. The intent was to empower voters to vote in a way that worked best for them, and it is clear that people availed themselves of the opportunity. Over 1 million people requested mail-in ballots, 180,000 people voted during early voting, and hundreds of thousands more went to the polls on election day. While the vast majority of people who requested a mail-in ballot were able to return it successfully, voters still had the ability to vote in person if they encountered difficulties in the vote-by-mail process."
Friday, September 4, 2020
In the News: Franklin vote completes after midnight Thursday (Friday morning)
From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
"On Thursday afternoon, Debra O’Malley, a spokesperson with Secretary of State William Galvin’s office, said 3,000 full ballots had been misplaced in Franklin and went uncounted on election night. The same thing happened with about 750 ballots in Newton and 100 ballots in Wellesley.
Because ballots must be counted in view of the public, and on election night, tabulating the missing ballots after that day required a Suffolk Superior Court order, which the Secretary’s office says was granted at about 5 p.m. Wednesday night.
Previous reports put the number of uncounted ballots in Franklin at about 600."
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200903/updated-it-has-been-determined-more-than-3000-ballots-have-not-been-counted-in-franklin-after-more-boxes-of-ballots-are-found?rssfeed=true
Why did it take so long? The manual process of counting is not efficient |
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
“The most important thing to do now is to count all the votes"
From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
"As Sept 2 dawned, the race for the 4th Congressional District House seat showed no sign of ending.
According to the Associated Press tabulation, fewer than 1,000 votes separated the top two Democrats, former Brookline city councilor Jesse Mermell and Newton City Councilor Jake Auchincloss. Mermell had led for much of the evening, with the gap between the two dwindling as more towns reported.
As of 12:45 a.m., 76 percent of the towns had reported results; outstanding were: Bellingham, Berkley, Dover, Franklin, Lakeville, Milford, North Attleboro, Norton, Raynham, Rehobeth and Seekonk.
In a statement issued shortly shortly before 1 a.m, Mermell’s campaign acknowledged the tight race."
“We must pass a Green New Deal”
From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
U.S. Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts defeated U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III in Tuesday’s hard-fought Democratic primary, harnessing support from progressive leaders to overcome a challenge from a younger rival who is a member of America’s most famous political family.
Kennedy, who represents Milford, won the town with 58.18% of the votes in the Democrats’ primary.
It was the first time a Kennedy has lost a race for Congress in Massachusetts.
Markey appealed to voters in the deeply Democratic state by positioning himself as aligned with the liberal wing of the party. He teamed up with a leading progressive, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, on the Green New Deal climate change initiative — and at one point labeled Kennedy “a progressive in name only.”
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Voices of Franklin: Six Combine Voices for Markey
These respondents are impressed by Sen. Markey’s record as a legislator. Karen Landers notes that he has long been known for his leadership and productivity. He entered national politics in 1974. In the succeeding 46 years he has been re-elected more than 20 times, first to the House (1974-2013) and subsequently to the Senate (2013 to present). Clearly the Democrats in Massachusetts have recognized him as an effective congressman.
These Franklin voters also admire Markey’s character. They see in him a strong and visionary leader, and author of the Green New Deal, which may be the most important legislation before the Congress in our time. Yet they also like his unpretentious, blue-collar origins and his personal modesty. Karen Landers and Mara Downie found themselves standing beside Markey in the crowd at the Youth Climate Strike in Boston last year. They noticed that he came to support the young strikers, not to grab the limelight.
Markey’s causes resonate with these voters. As Sue Cass puts it, Markey “has been indefatigable, participating on diverse committees and authoring or sponsoring hundreds of bills on diverse subjects, always focusing on improving American circumstances.” More particularly, these voters applaud the senator’s support of racial justice, net neutrality, gun control, health care for all, women’s rights, the COVID-19 Relief Bill, and especially the Green New Deal with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. This bill addresses the twin crises of climate change and economic inequality.
There are also strategic reasons to support Markey. Jayson Joyce admires him because, in drafting the COVID-19 Relief Bill with Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders, Markey brought both wings of the Democratic party to the table. Likewise, the senator commands inter-generational support from both ends of the age spectrum, from young Gen Z voters to aging Baby Boomers. According to Joyce, Markey is a visionary leader who constantly challenges the status quo. Or as Chorr-yi Chin puts it, Markey legislates with compassion for all, including future generations. Colin Cass thinks it’s naive to trust what politicians say. He judges them by what they actually do. He believes that Markey “is committed to action on the most pressing issues of our time.”
Finally, there is the uniqueness of this moment. As Joyce says, during this pandemic when many people have lost their jobs and their health insurance; when economic depression threatens and many are facing evictions, foreclosures, and heavy debts, the moment calls for strong leadership and moral authority. Or as Chin puts it, “The demands of today require somebody who understands the hardships we face.”
Ed Markey has spent his life as a prolific, principled, and successful legislator. This man has earned his place as our senator, and the voters of Massachusetts should keep him in office.
In the News: task force formed to tackle car thieves; primary may see record turnout
From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
"Several area communities have been targeted by two apparent separate groups of car thieves, and now a task force is seeking to catch the suspects.
Hopkinton Police said a task force made up of themselves, Holliston, Sherborn, Franklin, Medway, Millis and Wrentham police departments, as well as the Massachusetts State Police, are searching for the suspects.
“Our detectives have been monitoring this for quite some time,” Hopkinton Chief Joseph Bennett said Monday.
The task force was set up about three weeks ago. The car thefts, as well as car break-ins, have been occurring for about three months, Detective Sgt. Scott van Raalten said."
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200831/two-groups-of-car-thieves-are-targeting-area-from-hopkinton-to-franklin-now-seven-area-police-departments-have-set-up-task-force-to-catch-them?rssfeed=true
“I think we all know this has been an extraordinary year for virtually everything about our lives, and elections are no different,” Galvin, the state’s elections overseer, said at a State House press conference.
“We’re having an election tomorrow, I think under the most unusual circumstances.”
On the eve of a primary election in which ways to participate have been reshaped around the COVID-19 pandemic, Galvin provided a turnout forecast -- he expects 1.2 million to 1.3 million votes, once all are tallied -- and laid out the ground rules for voters."
Monday, August 31, 2020
Primary Election - Sep 1 - 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM at Franklin High School
Note, this Primary election opens at 7:00 AM. Most prior elections opened at 6. Not this time.
Election Info: https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/2020-elections-voting
Sample ballots: https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/2020-sample-ballots
:00 AM to 8:00 PM at Franklin High School |
Primary Election - Sep 1 - 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM |
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/08/2020-election-collection.html
Thursday, August 27, 2020
In the News: Zannetos withdraws from 4th District primary; Supreme Judicial Court upholds Sep 1 deadline
From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
A second Democrat in the 4th Congressional District race has decided to suspend his campaign and back Jesse Mermell ahead of next week’s primary.Chris Zannetos, a tech entrepreneur and founder of STEMatchMA, announced his decision on Wednesday, less than a week before the final votes will be cast at the polls on Sept. 1. He pointed to Mermell’s focus on economic equality and support for working families.
“The easy path for me would be to finish this campaign on Election Day,” Zannetos said in a statement released by the Mermell campaign. “But that would only take votes from a candidate who is committed to fixing this issue, who can win this race. There is one candidate who has shown in her career a consistent commitment to helping working people and those disenfranchised, and a willingness to create the public-private collaborations required to solve this challenge.”
"The Supreme Judicial Court has upheld the Sept. 1 deadline for local election officials to receive mail-in primary election ballots.
The court ruled Wednesday in a lawsuit filed by Fourth Congressional District candidate Becky Grossman, who sought a 10-day extension of the period allocated for counting mail-in primary ballots.
The 22-page decision, authored by Justice Scott Kafker, comes six days before a primary where several contentious races are set to be decided including the contest between U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, and the race featuring a crowded field of Democrats running in the Fourth Congressional District.
At least 1 million registered voters in Massachusetts requested mail-in ballots this year under a new law aimed at boosting voting options, but questions have been raised about the law’s deadlines and the reliability of the U.S. Postal Service, which has been thrust into a major role in the elections."
Supreme Judicial Court upholds Sep 1 deadline |