While two towns have approved measures to mail absentee voting applications to residents, strategies to improve voting access during a pandemic have not been uniform across the Tri-Town. 

On May 5, Marion voted to allow its Town Clerk to send absentee voting applications to every resident, and on May 18 Rochester did the same. In contrast, Mattapoisett has chosen not to send out applications. 

The state passed a temporary bill to allow absentee voting in municipal elections that happen before June 30. With Mattapoisett’s election scheduled for June 16, Rochester’s scheduled for June 17 and Marion’s scheduled for June 26, all three elections currently meet that criterion.

Marion Town Clerk Lissa Magauran came up with the idea in part by brainstorming with other members of the Massachusetts Town Clerks Association over email. 

As another safety precaution, she will also reduce the time that the Benjamind Cushing Center is open by two hours, but hesitated to cut the time too much to avoid overcrowding. 

“We wanted to spread out the time open  so that there wouldn't be crowding or long lines,” Maguaran said. 

Mattapoisett, by contrast will not send out absentee voting applications, for both cost reasons and because Mattapoisett Town Clerk Catherine Heuberger thinks ballots are accessible as is. 

Her main objection is “it would not be a good use of the Town’s money. Out of 5,000 voters only about a 1,000 people at most, and usually it's closer to 250, vote ever in a municipal election. It is a cost/benefit consideration,” Heuberger said.   

Voters can request ballots by mail, fax, email and the drop box at Town Hall, which she believes “allows voters plenty of opportunity to vote.”

When Rochester Town Clerk Paul Dawson broached the idea of mailing absentee ballot applications with Selectmen,  they raised concerns on voter fraud, access at the polls and adequately informing residents, although they did approve the measure. 

Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar said it would cost no more than $5,000 to mail applications to the town’s 4,367 registered voters. 

Selectman Woody Hartley was concerned about voters improperly mailing in ballots for others. 

Dawson said the town has checks and balances in place to ensure no one mails a ballot on behalf of another person. 

Hartley also thought that voters should be informed as soon as possible that they had the option to vote by mail. Dawson said he would send the applications out by the end of the week. As of June 1, Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar said half of the early voting applications had been sent out and the rest would be mailed out out in next day or two.