Published April 15, 2021
By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — Polling hours during the Town Election on Tuesday, May 4 will be slightly different from last year. After a brief discussion, the Select Board voted unanimously Monday night for the polls to be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This was a compromise from the noon to 6 p.m. time span recommended by Town Clerk Barbara Stats, who noted that similar to last year there are no contested seats, no open seats that could draw write-in candidates, and no questions on the ballot. This will be the second Town Election during which COVID restrictions will be in place. During ordinary times the polls in town have typically been open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Stats reasoned that having the polls open to the public for six hours would enable her to hire just one shift of poll workers rather than two. She explained that poll workers arrive one hour before the polls open and usually are on site for at least an hour after they close.
“It’s just a matter of being smart again. To me it’s no different than our planning for outdoor Town Meeting. We want to exercise precautions that are within our power to do so,” Stats said.
“This is not a statute that was enacted last year due to COVID. This opportunity to set varied polling hours is in the statute all the time,” Stats explained, adding that in the past “We never sought to take advantage of it even if we knew it would be a slower election.”
Select Board Chairwoman Kate Manupelli pointed out that unlike last year’s Town Election, all voters also have the opportunity to utilize the mail-in ballot option locally for any reason. Stats said the ballots are in her office now and available to be mailed out to any eligible voter who submits an application to her office by the deadline (see related story).
The town’s drop-off ballot box is also available outside Town Hall, 235 North St.
Select Board member Stephen O’Leary suggested expanding the early morning hours as doing so would be more convenient for many residents who are typically out earlier in the day doing their errands.
A suggestion to extend the hours in the evening was made by Select Board Vice Chairwoman Liane Gonzalez who thought those who do work out of town should be given an opportunity to get home and still have time to get to the polls. From personal experience, she said she works out of town, typically gets home around 6 p.m., and prefers to vote in-person.
In the end both the board and Stats were satisfied with the compromise hours even though it potentially means needing to hire two shifts of poll workers to avoid the need for some of them to be on-site for up to 10 hours.
All voters in town vote at St. Theresa’s Church Hall, 51 Winter St.
