ROCHESTER — As a precaution, the Rochester Board of Selectmen reluctantly voted to mail residents absentee voter registration applications.

New state legislation that allows residents to vote by mail, regardless of their circumstances.

At a May 18 video meeting, Selectmen voiced concerns on voter fraud, access at the polls and adequately informing residents, but ultimately approved the mailing. 

Brad Morse said that mailing applications to the 4,367 registered voters in the town so they can vote by mail, “concerns me, but I think we need to do it.” Specifically, he was concerned with fraud. 

Selectman Woody Harley approved the measure to protect the people of Rochester. Selectmen Paul Ciaburri gave a “reluctant aye.”

Mailing the applications and ballots to those who applied would cost a total of $5,000 at the most, said Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar. 

Town Clerk Paul Dawson made it clear this measure is only for extenuating circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic. It encourages people to vote remotely.

When Hartley asked about voter fraud, Dawson said the town has checks and balances in place to ensure no one mails a ballot on behalf of another person. 

As a candidate, Hartley said that the town should give notice as soon as possible to the residents of the option to vote by mail. Dawson said that he would be able to have mailers sent out by the end of this week.

After the vote, Dawson said that it was a “tough decision, but I appreciate it.”

Before the absentee applications vote, Selectmen voted to allow Szyndlar to send an application to the state’s Department of Revenue that would allow the town to operate on one-twelfth of the fiscal 2020 budget on a month-to-month basis in case that Town Meeting cannot happen before July 1.

She said she doesn’t anticipate the town having to use a temporary $1,950,000 budget past the deadline to approve the following year’s budget. But she wouldn’t have enough time to process payroll in the new fiscal year if she applied any later.