NORTH READING — On Monday night, Town Clerk Susan Duplin updated the Select Board on the procedures in place for the town’s voters to participate in the upcoming state election Tuesday, November 8.

In M ay, the state legislature voted to make no-excuses mail-in ballot application processing and voting permanent, and also requires cities and towns to provide early in-person voting options.

Each community can set its own hours during the early voting period within the prescribed dates to be held ahead of the actual election day. Cities and towns are also mandated to make some of these sessions available to voters on evenings and weekends.

EARLY VOTING SCHEDULE FOR STATE ELECTION

In North Reading, Duplin told the board, early in-person voting for the Tuesday, November 8 State Election begins in town on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.. in the gymnasium at North Reading Town Hall, 235 North St., for all four precincts.

Subsequent early in-person voting dates and times for the State Election will be held as follows, all in the gymnasium at Town Hall:

• Mon., Oct. 24: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Tue., Oct. 25: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Wed., Oct. 26: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Thu., Oct. 27: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Fri., Oct. 28: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Sat., Oct. 29: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Mon., Oct. 31: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Tue., Nov. 1: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Wed., Nov. 2 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Thu., Nov. 3: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Fri., Nov. 4: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Duplin added that all residents who registered to vote between July and Sept. should have received a mail-in voting application in the mail. If they did not receive one, the deadline to apply is Tuesday, Nov. 1 by 5 p.m.

“The voter registration deadline is now 10 days before every election,” Duplin said, adding, “it used to be 20 days before, so for this election the deadline is October 29. You have until midnight if you register online. The Town Clerk’s office will be open until 5 p.m. (Oct. 29) because we’ll be there for Early Voting anyway,” she said.

The absentee ballot application deadline for those who have an excuse, such as being out of town on Election Day, is also Tuesday, Nov. 1 by 5 p.m.

SIGN THE ENVELOPE!

Duplin emphasized with regard to mail-in ballots that voters must sign their name on the outside of the envelope or it cannot be accepted, and voters cannot bring their mail-in ballot to the actual polls on Election Day.

Voters who wait to cast their mail-in ballot until Election Day and show up at the polls with it will be directed to go to Town Hall at 235 North Street to hand it to a staff person at the counter of the Town Clerk’s office as mail-in ballots must be tracked from start to finish.

The voter can also deposit their mail-in ballot into the red, white and blue striped ballot drop box (located outside near the main front door) prior to it being locked at 8 p.m. But it must be sealed in the official envelope that arrived with the ballot and the outside of the envelope must have the voter’s signature; if it is unsealed, not signed or a regular envelope was used, it will be rejected and the envelope and its contents will be mailed back to the voter.

The state law governing how mail-in and early voted ballots is specified on Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s website as follows: “All ballot counting takes place in public. Ballots will only be removed from their envelopes during public counting sessions at central tabulation facilities and at polling places on Election Day.”

ELECTION DAY VOTING

On Election Day for the state election, which is Tuesday, November 8, the town’s centralized polling location will return to the parish hall at St. Theresa Church, 51 Winter St. All four precincts will vote here. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Duplin also noted that the ballot drop off box for mail-in ballots is always locked at 8 p.m. on Election Day, in sync with the same time the polls close.

VOTE TAKEN

On Monday night, the Select Board  voted 5-0 to approve the election warrant for the Nov. 8 state election.

QUESTIONS

Those with any questions are welcome to contact the Town Clerk’s office at (978) 357-5230 or (978) 357-5218 or via email to Town Clerk Sue Duplin:  sduplin@northreadingma.gov;
Assistant Town Clerk Stephanie Connolly: sconnolly@northreadingma.gov; or Secretary
Carol Ducrow:  cducrow@northreadingma.gov. Voters may also visit: www.northreadingma.gov/town-clerk/news/early-voting-person-november-8-2022-state-election-info.