Annual Town Election and Annual Town Meeting Update 

The Town of Andover Annual Town Election will be held on Tuesday, June 9, 2020. Polling hours are from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

Annual Town Meeting will be held on Monday, June 22, 2020, beginning at 7:00 PM at Andover High School. 

Read more below about the Annual Town Election and Annual Town Meeting

Annual Town Election 

Andover’s Annual Town Election will be held on Tuesday, June 9th, 2020. Polling hours are from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

Voters will elect one Moderator for a one-year term, one Select Board member for a three-year term, one School Committee member for a three-year term, one member of the Housing Authority for a five-year term, and two Trustees of the Punchard Free School for three-year terms.

Precincts 1 and 3, which have in past elections voted at the Senior Center, will vote at the Youth Center on Whittier Court. This change in polling location is due to the renovation project underway at the Senior Center. Precincts 4, 5 and 6 will vote at the Wood Hill Middle School. Precincts 2, 7 (including sub-precinct 7A), 8 and 9 will vote at the Andover High School Field House on Shawsheen Road.

Residents can search their precinct by visiting: www.sec.state.ma.us/wheredoivotema/

Voter Registration Deadline

The Board of Registrars of Voters will hold extended hours on Saturday, May 30, 2020 from 8:30 AM until 8:00 PM at the Town Office Building, 36 Bartlet Street, Andover for the purpose of registering new voters and for change of party enrollment. Voter registration forms and a secure deposit box will be available in the first floor entrance of the Town Office Building. May 30^th is the last day to register to vote or change party enrollment for the June 9, 2020 Annual Town Election. Residents may also register online by visiting: www.RegisterToVoteMA.com. All residents need to apply online is a license or an I.D. issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles, subject to the May 30^th deadline. Mail-in voter registration forms or change of party forms must be postmarked by the May 30^th deadline.

Voters can check their voter registration status on the Secretary of State’s web site at www.sec.state.ma.us or by calling the Town Clerk’s Office at (978) 623-8230.

COVID-19 Public Health Precautions

In response to the challenges posed by COVID-19, the Town is taking a number of steps to protect the safety of our election officers and voters. These steps include the following:

1. Voters and election officers who are sick or concerned that that they may have contracted the virus should not appear at a polling place on election day. Pursuant to emergency legislation enacted at the state level, eligibility for absentee voting has been expanded. (See below.) The Town strongly encourages voters to vote absentee.

2. On election day, voters are encouraged to vote at off-peak times (i.e., between the morning rush, lunchtime, and the evening rush).

3. Voters are strongly urged to wear face masks when in the polling places. A number of extra masks will be available to voters who do not have their own.

4. When completing a ballot, voters will be allowed to use their own blue and black pens and markers. Further, voters who do not bring their own writing utensils will be provided with writing utensils that will be used only once.

5. The Town will provide hand sanitizer to voters and election officers.

6. Every election officer will be supplied by the Town with face masks and latex gloves.

7. Every check-in/out table will have plexiglass barriers to separate election workers from voters.

8. At all polling locations, the voting booths and check-in/out stations will be spaced-out to provide a less dense precinct arrangement. (Precincts 1 & 3 will be located in the Youth Center gym, which provides more room for spacing than the Youth Center lobby). This enhanced distancing means that each precinct will occupy a 3,600 square foot area.

9. The voting booths, check-in/out tables, and ballot boxes will be regularly cleaned throughout election day.

10. The Town will regulate and limit the number of voters allowed into the polling places at any single time.

Absentee Voting

The last day and hour to apply for an absentee ballot is 12:00 PM on Monday, June 8^th.

A new state law enacted in response to the coronavirus situation allows for absentee voting in town elections for “any person taking precaution related to COVID-19 in response to a declared state of emergency or from guidance from a medical professional, local or state health official, or any civil authority.” On March 23, 2020, the Select Board declared a state of emergency in Andover.

To vote absentee, voters must submit an absentee ballot application. Absentee ballot applications can be found at here and submitted by email to townclerk@andoverma.us.

Absentee ballot applications are also available at the Municipal Services Facility at 5 Campanelli Drive and at the Andover Town Offices, 36 Bartlet Street, in the ground floor entrance. These applications can be obtained between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Completed applications can be deposited in a secure box located next to the applications. Alternatively, voters can bring the applications home to complete and mail to the Town Clerk’s Office at 36 Bartlet Street.

After receiving completed applications, the Town Clerk’s Office will mail voters an absentee ballot. Then, voters should return their completed absentee ballots by mailing them to the Town Clerk’s Office at 36 Bartlet Street or by dropping them into the Town’s drop boxes located at 5 Campanelli Drive or 36 Bartlet Street. Absentee ballots must be received by the Town Clerk’s Office at 8:00 PM on Tuesday, June 9^th (election day).

Absentee ballots that have already been submitted will still count, despite the date of the election being changed. Questions can be directed to the Town Clerk’s Office by email or by phone at (978) 623-8230.

Annual Town Meeting

Annual Town Meeting will be held on Monday, June 22, 2020, beginning at 7:00 PM at Andover High School. If necessary, the Annual Town Meeting will be continued on June 23, 2020 at 7:00 PM. Additional dates for Town Meeting continuation are June 29, 2020 and June 30, 2020.

The Finance Committee Report will be mailed to residents on June 11, 2020. The Finance Committee report will be available online at www.andoverma.go/FinCom, beginning on June 2, 2020. The Annual Town Meeting Warrant can be viewed at www.andoverma.gov/TownMeeting.

The last day to register vote for the Annual Town Meeting is June 2, 2020.

COVID-19 Public Health Precautions 

In response to the challenges posed by COVID-19, the Town is taking a number of steps to protect the safety of our town meeting officers and residents. These steps include the following:

1. Anyone who is sick or concerned that that they may have contracted the virus should not attend Town Meeting. Town Meeting will be broadcast and streamed live on AndoverTV.org and via cable.

2. Follow the signage and directions posted throughout the Andover High School Campus in order to navigate the Town Meeting check-in process.

3. Everyone attending Town Meeting will be required to wear a mask. Masks will be made available to attendees who do not have their own.

4. Seating will be configured in ways to ensure social distancing guidelines are met. You should only sit next to someone from your own household.

5. To further ensure social distancing, additional rooms will be utilized for Town Meeting if necessary. This may include the Cafeteria and Gymnasium, in addition to the Collins Center. Properly-distanced seating will be made available as the meeting attendance is evaluated. All rooms will have audio and visual capabilities for proper participation in the Town Meeting.

If necessary, the Annual Town Meeting will be continued on June 23, 2020 at 7:00 PM. Additional dates for Town Meeting continuation are June 29, 2020 and June 30, 2020.