Reminder: Belmont Town Election Nomination Papers Due Feb. 12

For everyone thinking about running for town-wide office or want to become a Town Meeting representative, Town Clerk Ellen Cushman has a gentle reminder: all nomination papers for those positions are due to her office at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12.

The ballot for the April 2 annual Town Election will contain the following offices:

Town-wide Elected Officials

Board of Selectmen, 1 member for three years

Board of Assessors, 1 member for three years

Board of Cemetery Commissioners, 1 member for three years

Board of Health, 1 member for three years

Housing Authority, 1 member for five years

Members of the School Committee, 2 members for three years

Moderator, 1 person for one year

Town Clerk, 1 person for three years

Trustees of the Public Library, 2 members for three years

Town Meeting Members

12 representatives from the town's eight precincts. In addition, there are partial terms seats available.

Precinct 1, 1 member for one year

Precinct 4, 1 member for one year

Getting your name onto the ballot is relatively simple:

• Appear in person at the Town Clerk’s office, present your identification, complete the nomination form and take the appropriate number of nomination papers.
• Circulate the papers among your friends, acquaintances and neighbors or complete strangers, making sure to confirm with the signer that he/she lives in Belmont and is a registered voter.  If you’re running for Town Meeting, be especially careful to collect signatures only from voters of your precinct.
• When collecting signatures, allow for drop-offs such as non-voters, voters of another precinct or illegible signatures.
• For Town-wide offices, collect at least 60 signatures of Belmont registered voters to be certain you’ll have enough to make the necessary 50 certified signature minimum.
• For Town Meeting Member, collect at least 32 signatures of Belmont registered voters only from your precinct to be certain you’ll have enough to make the necessary 25 certified signature minimum
• By 5pm on Feb. 12, turn in the signed nomination papers to the Town Clerk (acting as a member of the Board of Registrars) for certification of the signatures
• Nomination papers are certified in the order they are received.
• Once the signatures are certified by the Town Clerk and the minimum has been met, your name will appear on the ballot for April 2, 2013 Town Election and you’ll be notified
• Educate yourself on the campaign finance laws for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (see the Town Clerk’s website for resources)
• Set up your campaign committee, if you choose to form one, by filing with the Town Clerk
• Begin campaign activities and pay attention to campaign finance report deadlines

 The Town Clerk’s webpage  http://www.town.belmont.ma.us/Public_Documents/BelmontMA_Clerk/index  contains information and links for precinct maps, campaigning, campaign finance, names of voters, election day activities and prohibitions, etc. If you have any questions, please call the Town Clerk’s office at 617-993-2600 or send an email totownclerk@belmont-ma.gov