Rochester will have two separate ballots for the Old Colony project vote

ROCHESTER — On Monday, Oct. 6, the Rochester Select Board has voted to have two separate ballots for the Nov. 18 special election regarding the Old Colony project proposal. 

Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School has proposed a $288 million project to build a new high school.

Two separate paper ballots with one question on each will be presented to voters on Nov. 18.

One ballot will ask voters to accept or deny the Old Colony building proposal.

The second ballot will ask voters to approve or reject a Proposition 2½ debt exclusion that will help fund the project.

Cameron Durant, Rochester town administrator explained, "There will be two separate ballots. One for the school, one for the debt exclusion." He confirmed the two separate ballots will be two different colors to avoid confusion among voters. 

Residents will vote on both ballots on Nov. 18.

A Proposition 2½ debt exclusion would raise taxes a certain amount per household until the project is paid for. 

A vote on Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. will take place asking voters from Rochester, Mattapoisett, Lakeville, Carver and Acushnet to accept or reject this proposal.

Durant said, “It is important that when a resident goes and votes, whether they choose to say yes or no on the Old Colony proposal, they should understand that if they vote yes or no, there is a financial indication on their taxes.”

Two separate ballots are required by the state. Rochester will vote on two issues on two different ballots. 

Durant said that for transparency reasons “the Board has felt that it is appropriate to have the new school question and the debt exclusive question simultaneously.”

Kristin Nash, a Rochester resident said, “I think it's important for voters to understand that you either want to rebuild the school or not. If [voters] say yes, then the town has to determine how to fund its share.”

If a town rejects the debt exclusion, the town would need to fund the project through their annual operating budgets. 

If a vote for a debt exclusion fails, it can be brought back to the voters a second time. 

Nash asked “If people vote yes on the first ballot, do they have to vote yes on the second ballot to approve the school?”

Durant said that no, “one vote does not trigger another.”

A simple majority is needed to approve the project. This means 50% of the votes from all towns combined, plus one vote is all that is required to approve the project. 

The Department of Education has specifically stated there is no early, in-person voting on the Old Colony proposal. 

Residents can still pick up their mail-in ballots if they need to vote absentee.

Find more information and a voting guide on the Town of Rochester’s website here.

Visit www.oldcolonybuildingproject.com for more details on the proposal.

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the Old Colony proposal here.