Hello, Burlington!

The local election is less than two weeks away, and for many of us, there is still a lot to do and a lot to learn. As a reminder, here are the candidates running and open seats for the April 1 election. Here are my interviews with Carl Foss, Katherine Bond, and Jeremy Brooks for School Committee. And here is the School Committee debate. I’m still working on getting information from the two candidates (for one seat) for Recreation Commission.

But today, I want to talk to you about write-ins.

In order for our town government to work effectively and efficiently, we need a full complement of people on each of the Boards and Commissions. That’s the obvious, immediate reason why we need write-in candidates. Another piece is the fact that if there is an open seat after the election, the Board itself must vote to fill the position, leaving voters no opportunity to participate directly in the process. And, finally, a competitive government is one that is forced to work harder for our residents. Contested candidates must articulate their positions and record of working for the people.

If you’ve ever thought about serving your town, now’s your chance.

This year, unlike last year, all town-wide seats have at least enough candidates to fill the open seats. People can still run a write-in campaign for those seats, of course. But the priority is on Town Meeting. There are six open Town Meeting seats on the ballot:

• Precinct 2, 3-year term (1 seat)
• Precinct 4, 3-year (2 seats)
• Precinct 4, 1-year (1 seat)
• Precinct 7, 2-year (1 seat)

Become a Write-in Candidate

You can read about the requirements to run as a write-in or sticker candidate on the Secretary of State website, but I’ll summarize here.

1. Call Town Clerk Amy Warfield at 781-270-1660 and let her know you plan to run. That way, she’ll have your contact information to let you know on Saturday evening if you won.
2. Tell everyone you know that you’re running and why. Be sure to also give them your address, because that information is required for a write-in.
3. Print out a few sheets of return address labels for the day of the election.
4. Be ready on Election Day to stand in a conspicuous (but approved) place with your stickers, letting voters know about your candidacy and why they should write you in. Amy Warfield can tell you where such a place would be, but know there are state laws preventing campaigning within a certain distance of a polling place.

I will help write-in candidates get the word out by:

• Publishing bios in a dedicated write-in article
• Helping with materials creation if needed

So, candidates, please reach out to me ASAP and let’s get to it! I’m sure you know where to find me by now, but you can: reply to any Burlington Buzz email; call or text me if you have my number; DM me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

How to Vote for a Write-In Candidate

To vote for these folks, or to write in another candidate, all you have to do is find the appropriate line and write in their name and address. Check out your sample ballot here so you can get a look before going to the polls. Beware only Town Meeting candidates from your precinct will appear on your ballot, and you can only write in a TM candidate from your precinct.

As soon as I hear from write-in candidates, I’ll create a post where you can learn more about them.

This Week in Burlington

Meetings and Events

As always, the library calendar is chock-full of events; I’m only including a sampling below.

Monday, March 20

• 12:00 PM - Disability Access Commission (Grand View Farm)
• 1:00 PM - Monday Afternoon Bridge at the library
• 4:00 PM - ICE Palace Oversight Committee
• 5:30 PM - Zoning Bylaw Review Committee Sign Subcommittee (Virtual)
• 6:00 PM - Recreation Commission (BHS)
• 6:30 PM - Recycled CD Coasters for adults and teens at the library (Register)

Tuesday, March 21

• 8:00 AM - Ways and Means Committee - Finance Subcommittee (Town Hall)
• 10:00 AM - Ways and Means Committee - Vets-DAC Subcommittee (61 Center St.)
• 4:00 PM - Pokémon Club (Grades K-5) at the library (Register)
• 6:00 PM - School Committee Meeting (postponed from 3/13) (BHS and virtual)
• 6:30 PM - General Bylaw Review Committee (virtual)
• 6:30 PM - Land Use - Sub Committee (Town Hall)
• 7:00 PM - Board of Appeals (Public hearings begin at 7:30) (Town Hall)
• 7:00 PM - Shawsheen School Committee Meeting (Shawsheen Tech)

Wednesday, March 22

• 4:00 PM - Assessors Meeting (Town Hall)
• 4:00 PM - Teen Event: Candy Mosaics at the library (Register)
• 6:00 PM - Board of Health Subcommittee - Nurse Interview (61 Center St.)
• 6:45 PM - Ways and Means Committee - TH II Subcommittee Sealer -Weights & Measures (Town Hall)
• 7:00 PM - Ways and Means Committee (Town Hall and virtual)

Thursday, March 23

• 6:30 PM - Last Word Toastmasters Club at the library
• 6:30 PM - Conservation Commission (Town hall)

Friday, March 24

• 10:30 AM - Toddler Movie Day

Saturday, March 25

• 10:00 - Irish Author Talk - Michelle Gallen at the library (Register)
• 11:00 - Meet Tracy the Triceratops at the library (Register)
• 3:00 - Teen Event: Glass Bead Suncatcher (Register)

Sports and Activities

Preseason work begins this week with volleyball, lacrosse, and softball starting scrimmages later in the week.

That’s it for now—see you tomorrow!

Nicci