CHARLEMONT — Apart from a question on replacing a 10-year-old ambulance, the ballot of the annual town election is largely empty, with no candidates for 10 of the 15 open positions.
The election is Tuesday, June 30, with polls open at the Fire Station from 3 to 7 p.m. Voters will be required to wear masks and keep at least 6 feet apart. Because of concerns related to the coronavirus, Town Clerk Kathy Reynolds is encouraging residents to vote by mail rather than in person.
All five candidates on the ballot are incumbents, including Selectboard member Marguerite Willis.
The 10 positions with no candidates include seats on the Planning Board, Board of Health, the two school committees, the Parks and Recreation Committee and others.
The lack of candidates is unusual for Charlemont, and is probably related to the pandemic, Reynolds said. She said nomination papers were taken out by a typical number of people, but most were not returned. She is not aware of any write-in campaigns.
“(The empty positions) are all problematic,” Reynolds said. “It’s very difficult to get people to volunteer for positions, especially governmental positions.”
The replacement of the ambulance must be approved both through the election and at Annual Town Meeting. The ballot question is whether to approve a debt exclusion for the purchase.
The purchase is expected to be on the Annual Town Meeting warrant, Reynolds said, but the meeting has been delayed indefinitely. The warrant, which would include more detailed information on the purchase, such as a price, has not been released yet. Reynolds, who is also the executive assistant to the Selectboard, said she does not know if the town has a price or an estimate for the replacement.
To minimize the number of people at the polls, residents are encouraged to vote by mail. Applications for mail-in ballots are available online at charlemont-ma.us/town/town-clerk, or by contacting the Town Clerk’s Office by phone at 413-339-4335 ext. 7, or by email at town-clerk@charlemont-ma.us.
After receiving a mail-in ballot, it must be returned to the Town Clerk’s Office before polls close on June 30 at 7 p.m. Ballots can be mailed to the Town Clerk’s Office, 157 Main St., Charlemont, MA, 01339, or can be submitted in a sealed envelope in the blue bin by the rear doorway of Town Hall.
Reach Max Marcus at
mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.