Early Voting is Underway in Bedford

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A Bedford virologist who cited Dr. Anthony Fauci as her ‘personal hero’ was the first voter in line, waiting for the polls to open Saturday afternoon. She was joined by about a dozen others, and the group became a small crowd before the first vote was cast.

The Reed Room at Town Hall is arranged to accommodate appropriate social distancing with plenty of sanitzer on hand.

Bedford’s AutoMARK Voter Assist Terminal, an optical scan ballot marker, is available for individuals unable to personally mark their ballot due to visual limitations, physical impairments, or language barriers.

Early in-person voting is available daily through Friday, October 30. Click this link for the full schedule of weekday and weekend hours.

Unregistered voters have another week (Saturday, October 24)  to get onto the voter rolls. The online or in person registration deadline is October 24; mailed registration must be postmarked by October 24.

And there is still time to request an absentee ballot. All requests must be received by 5 pm on Wednesday, October 28. Returned ballots must be postmarked or returned in person by the close of the polls on Tuesday, November 3

Bedford

The Sixth Congressional District Incumbent Seth Moulton and Challenger John Paul Moran

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Bedford sits in the southwestern corner of Massachusetts’ sixth congressional district, which extends to the New Hampshire border and includes much of the North Shore. Our current representative in the House of Representatives is Seth Moulton, a Democrat who was first elected in 2014 and was re-elected in 2016 and 2018.

Rep. Moulton is running for re-election and is being challenged by Republican John Paul Moran. No other candidates for this office appear on the ballot. Moulton won the Democratic primary on September 1, receiving 78% of the vote in a field that included Jamie Belsito and Angus McQuilken. Moran was unopposed in the Republican primary.

Bedford

Saturday, October 17 at 2 pm: Early In-Person Voting Begins in the Reed Room at Bedford Town Hall

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While mail-in ballots are in Bedford voters’ hands, about half of the Town’s voters may prefer to cast their ballots in person.

Early, in-person voting begins at 2 pm on Saturday, October 17 in the Reed Room at Town Hall. Click this link for Bedford’s schedule of weekends and weekday early in-person polling times until 1 pn on Friday, October 30.

And So It Begins: Town Clerk Bridget Rodrigue Mails First Batch of Ballots to Bedford Voters

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With roughly 5,000 of Bedford’s 10,536 registered voters requesting vote-by-mail ballots for the November 3 election, Town Clerk Bridget Rodrique is clearly heading into her office’s busiest season.

In a recent interview, Rodrigue seemed unfazed, noting that she loves being busy; has an experienced and supportive staff; and has a well-developed plan in place. In addition, the Town Clerk’s office has been reconfigured for efficiency and security to support preparing and mailing ballots, then storing them safely until they are counted on Election Day.

Bedford’s ballots were expected to be received by October 9, but they arrived last Friday, and a complex process is underway.

Pre-Election Calendar

National Register to Vote Day ~ Tuesday, September 22

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If you’re not already registered to vote in the Presidential Election on November 3, National Register to Vote Day, September 22, is a good time to check your voter registration or add your name to the voter rolls so that you can cast your ballot.

2020 Massachusetts Primary

Massachusetts Primary Tally ~ September 1, 2020

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With special thanks to Town Clerk Bridget Rodrigue, the staff in the Town Clerk’s office, and the poll workers who conducted a socially distanced and masked election from 6 am to 8 pm and then counted votes until 11 pm on Election Night.

Total Ballots Cast ~ 4,611

Democratic ~ Total Ballots Cast, 3864

Senator In Congress
Edward J. Markey, 2611
Joseph P. Kennedy, III, 1236

Representative In Congress
Seth Moulton, 2772
Jamie M. Belsito, 349
Angus G. McQuilken, 635

Councillor
Marilyn M. Petitto Devaney, 3062

Senator In General Court
Michael J. Barrett, 3283

Representative In General Court
Kenneth I. Gordon, 3378

Register Of Probate
Tara E. Decristofaro, 3079
Republican ~ Total Ballots Cast, 721

Senator In Congress
Shiva Ayyadurai, 228
Kevin J. O’Connor, 364

Representative In Congress
John Paul Moran, 512

Green Rainbow ~ Total Ballots Cast, 13

Libertarian ~ Total Ballots Cast, 13

Election Day is Done ~ It’s All Over But the Counting

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Bedford’s polls closed with a small flurry of activity at 8 pm on Tuesday, as election workers began to put their workspaces in order.

Town Clerk Bridget Rodrigue said the count isn’t official yet, but Tom Larkin, holding a sign for his favored senatorial candidate, said that he heard that 4,000 votes were cast around 7 pm.

2020 Massachusetts Primary

Bedford’s Polls are Open and the Count is Underway

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A scant crowd, fewer than a dozen, waited for the doors to open at Bedford’s polling place in the John Glenn Middle School shortly before 7 am on Tuesday morning.

Town Clerk Bridget Rodrigue note that in-person early voting had been strong, and mail-in voting was even stronger.

The Citizen will be checking back throughout the day, bringing you pictures and vote total updates.

Why I Vote ~ Personal Reflections, Part III

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You may have heard that the upcoming election is the most important election ever. It is, but they all are because America’s democracy rests on active engagement by all its citizens.

The Bedford Citizen’s tribute to the Class of 2020 ended with an article reminding the class to join the ranks of registered voters. The idea of voting for the first time is exciting, so we’re sharing those ‘first vote’ stories again as Massachusetts gears up for its September 1 Primary.

In today’s installment, you’ll hear from Teri Morrow, Jennifer Harrington, Lalitha Gunturi  Ranganath, Gene Kalb, and Laura Bullock.

Community News

VOTE ~ A New PSA Tells How via Bedford TV and YouTube

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The League of Women Voters of Bedford and Bedford TV have again collaborated to produce a public service announcement for an important upcoming town election.

This one focuses on the upcoming elections on Primary on September 1 and the General Election on November 3, highlighting early voting for each election, voting by mail, and in-person voting at the polls.

Why I Vote ~ Personal Recollections, Part I

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You may have heard that the upcoming election is the most important election ever. It is, but really they all are because America’s democracy rests on active engagement by all its citizens. The Bedford Citizen’s tribute to the Class of 2020 ended with an article reminding the class to join the ranks of registered voters. The idea of voting for the first time is exciting, so we’re sharing these ‘first vote’ stories again as Massachusetts gears up for its September 1 Primary. In today’s installment, the first in a series of three, you’ll hear from Meredith McCulloch, Susanne Durato, Sarita Pillai, Bob Dorer, and Sandra Hackman.

2020 Town Election

Letter to the Editor: Recent Bedford Election with National Significance

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Bedford’s Town Election on March 14 turned out to have unexpected national significance. Not only was Bopha Malone the first minority candidate to win election to Bedford’s Select Board (as far as anyone seems to know) it has also been discovered that she was only the second Cambodian American woman in the entire country ever to win election to public office. This is clearly a big win for Cambodians everywhere, but especially in the eyes of young Cambodian American women.

OpEd

Letter to the Editor: Thank You to Those Who Voted in Saturday’s Town Election, from Mark Siegenthaler

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I am writing to thank all those who voted in Saturday’s town election, and to express my appreciation to those who helped me and supported my campaign. 

I am pleased to have run a race based on my experience and expertise.  I think candidates should run in a way that is honest, comfortable and consistent with their values while offering realistic ideas to address our community’s needs. 

2020 Town Election

Bedford Votes ~ The 2020 Town Election ~ March 14, 2020

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Bedford’s polls opened at 8 am, but the voters were sporadic until mid-morning when the traffic picked up dramatically according to reports. At noon, Precinct One had tallied 400 ballots, and traffic into and out of JGMS seemed brisk.

Pre-election organization paid off: Voters were socially distant, wipes and pens were plentiful. Town staff were on hand, election workers were helpful, and voters seemed ebullient, with a whiff of “We’re getting this done” in the air.

Polls are open until 6 pm tonight (Saturday, March 14, if you’re reading this later!) The Citizen plans to be on hand to report the preliminary vote totals.

Watch Sunday’s Candidate Forum on YouTube!

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If you couldn’t be part of Sunday’s live audience for the Candidate Forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Bedford, you are invited to watch this video produced by Healey, Jessie, and Taevy who are young students at Bedford TV:

Tomorrow is SUPER TUESDAY ~ That Means it’s TIME TO VOTE!

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Polls will open at 7 am on Tuesday, March 3, for the 2020 Massachusetts Presidential Primary. All four of Bedford’s precincts vote in the gymnasium at the John Glenn Middle School, 99 McMahon Road. Click this link for directions to the polls.

Voters who are blind or suffer from impaired vision may choose to vote independently using the AutoMARK Voter Assist Terminal – click this link to learn more.

Of Bedford’s more than 10,000 voters, fewer than 10% voted in last week’s early voting, so there are a lot of people eligible to vote tomorrow. Parking may be limited, but don’t let that get in your way!

Homepage Featured

Coming Soon to a Mailbox Near You: The 2020 Bedford Voters Guide and Annual Town Meeting Preview

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“Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”          Franklin D. Roosevelt

An important town election is coming up on Saturday, March 14 and then the Annual Town Meeting begins on Monday, March 23.

At The Bedford Citizen, we’re taking Franklin D. Roosevelt’s words to heart. As soon as the lawn signs started to appear, The Bedford Citizen began working with the Bedford League of Women Voters to create our first Bedford Voters Guide.

Government

Early Voting Total Exceeds 800 ~ Now, On to Super Tuesday

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Early voting in the Massachusetts Presidential Preferential Primary ended at 1 pm on Friday, with 854 Bedford voters participating.

On Thursday, 180 voters cast ballots raising the to-date total to 650 at 4 pm on Thursday. Another 204 voted on Friday, between 8 am at 1 pm to increase the total to 854.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Empowering Voters at the Bedford Polls

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While being an independent voter can indicate a party preference, voter independence in Bedford has another meaning: empowerment for voters with disabilities. 

Thanks to support from the American with Disabilities Act, Bedford has an AutoMARK Voter Assist Terminal. The terminal makes independent voting possible for voters with disabilities through its use of assistive technology to mark an optical scan ballot.