04/16/2020 BOARD OF SELECTMEN Agenda Packet

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"Preserving public trust,providing professional services" Rodney C.Collins office ow f the Town Manager o M Town.Manager x ,' � Mashpee Town Hall. 508-539-1481 16 Great Neck load North rccollins@mashpeema.gov Mashpee,MA.02649 MEMORANDUM To: Chairman Andrew Gottlieb and Honorable Board of Selectmen From: Town Manager Rodney C.Collins Reference: Mashpee Annual Election warrant Date: April 13, 2020 Description: At the Board of Selectmen meeting on April 6,2020, it was initially established that the Town Election be conducted on May 19, 2020 with modified hours and a different polling place.The hours would be 9 am to 4 pm and the polling place would be Town Hall instead of the Quashnet School, At the April 10, 2020 special Board of Selectmen meeting, Town Clerk Debbie Dami requested to speak with Town Counsel to address some concerns that had been brought to her attention through other Town Clerks. i spoke with Town Counsel Pat Costello regarding the matter and afforded Town Clerk Dami the opportunity to clarify questions for Town Counsel,The purpose of the consultation was to determine any legal issues that should be resolved in regards to the postponement of the Town Election and the legal authority to carry it out as scheduled but at a different polling place.Specifically,the key questions from the Town Clerk for Town Counsel were: • With a change to the polling place, is the Town obligated to notify all voters by mail? Town Counsel states:"Yes, (See MGL Chapter 54,Section 24—Designation of Palling Places)When ; a polling place in a voting precinct is changed from one location to another,.,the selectmen in any town shall cause printed descriptions of such polling place to be posted in such public places in such precinct as they determine and shall give notice by mail to each residence of one or more registered voters therein. (Emphasis added)" i with a change to the election date, is the voter registration deadline 10 or 20 days prior to the election? Town Counsel states: ".10 days if the rescheduling is COVID-19 related, Per Chapter 45, Acts of 2020, Section 2, the last day to register to vote for any annual or special municipal election postponed pursuant to this act or otherwise postponed in response to COVID-19 shall be ten days before the date to which the rescheduled election has been postponed."