Chelsea council approves early in-person voting schedule, adopts election warrant

The Chelsea City Council voted 8-0 on Aug. 25 to opt in to early in-person voting for the 2025 municipal elections and to approve the warrant for the Sept. 16, 2025, city preliminary election.

The action implements a recommendation from the Board of Registrars and a written request from the City Clerk asking the council to authorize in-person early voting under Massachusetts law. "As the local election official, I am respectfully requesting from the honorable members of the city council to approve the information set forth in this letter by a recorded and public vote so that the above schedule regarding in person early voting may be implemented," the City Clerk wrote in the communication presented to the council.

Under the schedule approved by the council, in-person early voting for the Sept. 16 preliminary will be held at Chelsea City Hall, 500 Broadway, in the City Clerk's office on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and during normal business hours Monday, Sept. 8 through Friday, Sept. 12. For the Nov. 4, 2025, municipal election, in-person early voting will take place Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and during normal business hours Monday, Oct. 27 through Friday, Oct. 31.

The City Clerk's letter said the Board of Registrars voted to opt in to early voting in accordance with the VOTES Act and cited Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 54, Section 25B. The communication also notes that the option to vote by mail has been made permanent for municipal preliminary and final elections under that statute. The City Clerk provided application deadlines: the deadline to apply for vote-by-mail for the Sept. 16 preliminary is Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, by 5 p.m.; the deadline for the Nov. 4 election is Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, by 5 p.m.

The council acted after the City Clerk presented the letter and the council president asked for a recorded roll call. Councilor Robinson offered the motion to accept the call of the special meeting earlier in the session. The clerk announced the roll-call results for both the opt-in vote and the warrant adoption as eight in favor, zero opposed, three absent.

The approvals were procedural: councilors authorized the schedule and warrant as requested by the local election official. There were no recorded amendments, conditions, or recusals tied to either vote in the meeting record. The council adjourned immediately after adopting the warrant.

Who is affected: registered voters in Chelsea, and in particular voters in District 4 (described in the clerk's letter as encompassing Ward 3, Precincts 3 and 4) for the Sept. 16 preliminary; all Chelsea registered voters for the Nov. 4 municipal election are covered by the citywide early-voting schedule and the vote-by-mail deadlines provided by the clerk.