ORDER-2020-135 : A request for city council approval of the temporary consolidation of polling locations to the MVMMS Gymnasium for the upcoming elections in September and November of 2020. These changes are being made in an effort to support the health and safety of residents, voters, and elections staff during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Transcript (~6 min @ 3:14)

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▶ 3:18 Christopher Cinella: Cinella. Yes. And yes. So this is a one-order tonight continuation of order 2020-135 a request the City Council to approve the temporary consolidation of the polling locations to to the Melrose Veteran Memorial Middle School Gymnasium for the upcoming election in September and November of 2020. These changes are being made in an effort to support the health and safety of resident voters, residents voters and election staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Heard from our city clerk, we had a nice, some of us had a nice tour today of the gymnasium. I don't know if there's anybody any additional questions for the city clerk or counselor stewart

▶ 4:07 Robb Stewart: i just wanted to say to uh the council and to the public in general that um i spent um a good amount of time with ms camoza last thursday evening um speaking in regards to to this proposed change to the voting procedure. And it was well thought out. She was able to address a lot of the questions that the council as a whole had raised the last time we've met. And it is clear that number one, safety is the priority for all of the people in Melrose. Of particular concern are people that are disabled or elderly or may have some pre-existing medical concerns that they need to, she has put together, in my opinion, a very strong comprehensive plan to help everyone in those situations as well as the residents in general to be able to vote effectively. I think the alternative ways to vote that she had put forward, Including the mail-in voting, the ability to vote early in Memorial Hall, as well as the plan that's been laid out with a diagram now. Thank you very much, Ms. Camosa, for a wonderful diagram to help us better understand how that's going to proceed throughout the day. She also, and I think this is an extremely important aspect, is she has a very strong communications plan that's going to be starting as soon as possible throughout the summer, through the election, both the primary and general election. And it's, I think, going to be able to touch all people that need to know. So it's not just a digital only, it's not just a newspaper, it's comprehensive. And I think that's real important to be effective for all the voting members of the town. And I just want to leave this one last thought. This is to the public. These are extraordinary times. It is the responsibility of both the government and the people to accommodate these times as best we can. And so what I mean by that is we are doing the best we can to accommodate both the safety and the ability to vote. And it's important that the public also help others as best they can. If you have a neighbor that's elderly that you can either give a ride or communicate how they can vote, the alternatives, I think that's real important. If there's a way that you can volunteer your services throughout the day, that'd be cool. But it's real important that I think that we need to recognize that in order to make this work effectively, everyone needs to be treated. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

▶ 7:09 Christopher Cinella: Thank you. Councilor Thomas.

▶ 7:12 Cory Thomas: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wanted to thank Clerk Camosa as well as Joanne and Eric and Ted with the Elections Office. They did a great job over the last week updating their original plan. Not really updating their original plan, but answering the questions like Councilor Stewart said. The tour today was great. I wanna thank the DPW and members of the school department that got us into the school today to see, you know, how this would work this fall in September and November. And like councilor Stewart just said as well, these are extraordinary times, you know, changes might need to be made for the 2020 election cycle. I don't know if I'd wanna see this change as a permanent change, but during a COVID time, I really appreciate everything that the elections office to make you see how this would work in September, November. Thank you.

▶ 8:06 Christopher Cinella: I didn't see any other hands go up. Did I miss anybody?

▶ 8:10 Speaker 1: What is the will of the committee?

▶ 8:15 Christopher Cinella: Motion to recommend, seconded by Councilor Eccles, seconded by President Grigoraitis. Is there any other discussion on that? Seeing none, Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Vice Chair Migliorelli? Yes. Councilor Tramontozzi? Yes. Councilor McMaster?

▶ 8:34 Speaker 1: No. Councilor McNaught? Yes. Councilor Eccles? Yes. Councilor Garipay? No. Councilor Stewart? Yes. Councilor Thomas?

▶ 8:47 Speaker 2: No.

▶ 8:49 Speaker 1: Councilor Jamaleddine? President Grigoraitis? Yes. Chair Sonnella? Yes. Seven yes, motion passes.