ORDER-2025-1 : Authorize In-person early voting for September 3, 2024 state primary schedule

Transcript (~5 min @ 1:55)

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▶ 1:48 Robb Stewart: Seeing no objection. Rule 37 B is now suspended. Uh, the first order, uh, on the docket is order 2025 dash one. Uh, which authorizes in-person early voting for September 3rd, 2024 for the state primary schedule.

▶ 2:06 Speaker 2: I'm so excited to come up. I jumped the rule suspension. Sorry about that. As you know, Bridget Alvis and chair of the Board of Registrars, if it's okay, she joins. Mm-Hmm. Uh, so I also want to inform the council. I did clarify with the state this week that according to Mass General Law, chapter 54, section 25 B, part B four, the council does not have to authorize anything on the state election in terms of location, date, time, or place for early in person voting. So you're off the hook for this taking you off the plate for the council. The only people that have to vote to remove it from the election office, the board of registrars, which they did last Wednesday at their monthly meeting. And that is, um, so that registered voters are aware that if for some reason the election office isn't feasible in terms of space or a DA accessibility, um, they need to move the early in-person voting. It's going to be here in the chamber. They took that vote. I just wanted to confirm that. So it's all local elections. Yes, you are the authorizing body for that, but moving forward no longer have to do that. But since it's already on the books, you guys will need to vote on that tonight.

▶ 3:18 Robb Stewart: Thank you Madam Clerk. So, just for clarification, does this mean, uh, there is not a requirement to authorize this in person on this particular

▶ 3:27 Speaker 2: Vote? Correct? There's no requirement, but we did move forward with it. I'm following precedent. People put it forward before me to you, gen ladies and gentlemen. So I'm following precedent, but I did want to clarify that 'cause it doesn't make sense. The state legislators put this in place for the votes Act and I was asked, like, it kind of didn't make sense. Why would the local body authorize something? The states are, are sort of following, you know, thinking it through, um, local elections. Yes, you are the authorizing body, but state elections is already a chart based on population. You have to have so many hours, you have to have so many days. The only body that will authorize moving the location is the registrars. So local elections, the municipality, state elections, the legislators have already taken care of that.

▶ 4:10 Robb Stewart: Okay, so that being said, what is the will

▶ 4:14 Leila Migliorelli: of the committee president? Uh, Mr. Chairman, I have just have a question just to point of clarification please. So, uh, just the state and and federal do not need to be voted on. Just, just wanna clarify that 'cause you just said, okay. So state and federal elections do not, no longer need to be voted on by the council for authorizing earlier in person voting or calling an election.

▶ 4:38 Speaker 2: Calling election separate. That is like putting the warrant forward to the voters. Those will still be informational. Calling a warrant is not an, it's an order, just it's an informational, the council will still be made apprised of, there's two different orders here. One is a calling a Primary. Yep. Those, those typically the, the council puts on file, places it on file, it's always going to be put forward. Okay. So the registered voters are aware, but in terms of authorizing the time, place, dates, those for a federal still considered a state election. Yep. Federal. So a state election, whether it's federal or state primary. Okay. Those no longer will be before the council. Okay.

▶ 5:12 Leila Migliorelli: So no authorizations. Correct. But we, we will continue, the finance committee will continue to vote and then the full council on calling local, state, or state elections. So both orders

▶ 5:24 Speaker 2: You will Moving forward, Continue to have calling of state, it's called a warrant? Yes. You'll consider continue to have any warrants basically here. Y all Melrose voters, this is when the time, date, and places of the election. Okay.

▶ 5:37 Leila Migliorelli: So, alright. So that's helpful. Just so we all know going forward, yes, we will see the calling of the, the state warrant, whatever you wanna call it, that will continue to stay on these agendas, correct? Yes. But no, no longer the authorization for in-person voting or time dates, any of that? Correct. Alright. Thank you for clarifying. Yes.

▶ 5:55 Robb Stewart: Thank you Madam President. Any other questions from the committee?

▶ 6:01 Robb Stewart: That being said, what is the will of the committee?

▶ 6:06 Speaker 3: Motion to place order 2025 dash one on file since it's not, does not require a vote.

▶ 6:16 Robb Stewart: Second. So we have a motion to place, uh, order 2025 dash one on file made by President ler, seconded by Council Williams under discussion. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed? Okay. This will be placed on file. Thank you for that clarification. Uh, the second order is order 2025 dash two. Calling a state primary for Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024.