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Elections

Submit your questions for the Newton 2021 Municipal Election

Newton voters: send us your questions for the candidates!

This year, the League will once again create an online Voters Guide and host Candidate Forums for the upcoming municipal election for Mayor, City Councilors, and School Committee members. We will create a guide and host forums for both the preliminary election in September, and then for the regular election in November.

The LWVN Voters Guide and Candidate Forums are neutral forums where we invite all candidates to provide answers to the public, as part of our mission to encourage informed and active participation in government. The League of Women Voters is nonpartisan: this means we neither support nor oppose candidates or political parties at any level of government. We do advocate for issues we have studied and taken positions on, but we do not support or oppose candidates.

Help us formulate questions to cover a wide variety of topics in our Voters Guide and to use in our Candidate Forums! We are currently requesting questions for the preliminary election in particular, and will be issuing a new request for questions for the regular election.  Please submit your question(s) for any of the groups of candidates — for Mayor, City Councilor, or School Committee — by July 25. You may submit this form as many times as needed to ask multiple questions of different candidate groups.

We suggest that your question be direct and about 1-2 sentences long. This generally results in more direct and focused answers. We can’t guarantee questions will be used verbatim as we may combine similar questions, but we will try to address as many topics and questions as possible.
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The VOTES Act with State Senator Creem

Given the national focus on voting rights and suppression and our mission — Empowering voters. Defending democracy — the League thought it was important to provide more information on legislation put forward by State Senator Cindy Creem and State Representative John Lawn.  Therefore, we invited Senator Creem to join The League Presents to tell us about An Act Fostering Voting Opportunities, Trust, Equity, and Security, or The VOTES Act.  It is supported by the LWVMA, which notes that the Election Modernization Coalition has called it “the most comprehensive next step for Massachusetts elections.” The legislation includes the following components:

State Senator Creem
  • Mail-in Voting
  • Early Voting
  • Same Day Registration
  • Jail-based Voting Reforms
  • Risk Limiting Audits – the Gold Standard
  • Automatic Voter Registration

It is important to note that we also talked about the fact that others are in the process of putting forward legislation that would restrict voter access.  We all need to become educated and active relative to the passing of this important legislation.  To learn more please view this episode of The League Presents: The VOTES Act with State Senator Creem.

Watch the video now!

Read more →

Don’t Just Stand There…Run in 2021 Campaign Workshop

Thinking of adding your name to the November ballot or helping on a campaign?

The League of Women Voters of Newton invites candidates, potential candidates, campaign managers, campaign treasurers, and all interested citizens to a virtual workshop on running for office.

LWVN President Marcia Johnson will moderate a panel of guests who will offer practical information and advice on issues like filing official paperwork, creating effective campaign communications, and understanding the demands of public office.  Our panelists will include…

  • David Olson, former Newton City Clerk
  • Greg Reibman, President of the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber, and former editor with the TAB, Boston Herald and PBS World Channel
  • Ted Hess-Mahan, former Newton City Councilor
  • Bridget Ray-Canada, School Committee member

Register now to receive the event Zoom link… https://Bit.ly/LWVN_RUN

Share your questions for our panelists in advance or contact us with questions about the event at info@lwvnewton.org.

Newton Special Election – Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Recently, two seats on Newton City’s Council became vacant due to the untimely death of City Councilor Allan “Jay” Ciccone, Jr. and the election of City Councilor Jake Auchincloss as U.S. Representative to Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District.  A special election will be held to fill these seats:

  • City Council – Ward 1 At-Large
  • City Council – Ward 2 At-Large

Date of Special Election

The election will take place on Tuesday, March 16, 2021.   Read more below for information about the candidates, to date, who have announced their decision to run and on how to plan your vote.

Read more →

Questions for Upcoming Candidate Forum: Please Submit by February 15, 2021

Candidate ForumOn Monday, February 15, LWVN together with NewTV will be taping Candidate Forums for the candidates in the March 16, 2021 Special Election.  We need questions to ask the candidates.

Send us questions YOU would like to ask the candidates for the vacant Ward 1 and Ward 2 At-Large City Council seats.  We can’t guarantee they will be used verbatim, but we will try to address as many topics and questions as possible.  We especially appreciate questions that are direct and about 1-2 sentences long–these tend to mean more direct and focused answers. Please submit your questions before 4:00 pm on Monday, February 15 to LWVN and use the subject line “Questions for Candidates in 2021 Special Election”.

Our forums will be taped by NewTV, to be shown on NewTV at a later date and available online.  Check our website for viewing information!