The Winchester Board of Selectmen on June 16 moved to formally notify the town’s registrars of voters that future referendums should use machine voting in keeping with the town charter, and to ask the town clerk’s office for clearer public notice when office hours are changed for elections.

The board’s action followed several members raising concerns about the May referendum, during which local registrars used paper ballots and the town clerk’s office was open an additional Saturday without a legal public notice announcing that opening. The board said it did not have direct authority over the registrars — who are elected officials — but that a written request from the board was a necessary step to avoid repetitions.

Why it matters: Selectmen said the combination of paper ballots and the unpublicized Saturday opening eroded public confidence and raised questions among residents about process transparency. The board described the move as procedural: a written reminder of the charter requirement and an ask for improved communications, not a formal sanction.

What the board did: At the meeting the board voted unanimously to send a letter, drafted on behalf of the full board, reminding the registrars of voters that the town charter requires machine voting for referendums and asking the registrars and town clerk to coordinate clearer public notice for any future deviations in office hours. The vote followed discussion about who had authorized the Saturday opening; selectmen said the registrars made the decision to use paper ballots and that the town clerk (identified in the record as Glenn) had authority to set clerk office hours.

Discussion highlights and outstanding questions
- Selectmen said they received informal reports that some voters learned of the Saturday opening through social media and text messages rather than a legal public notice and that no formal explanation had been provided to the board in the two weeks after the referendum. Board members called for clearer, earlier public communication in the future.
- Several members said they wanted “closure” — an explanation of who authorized the Saturday hours and why the decision to use paper ballots was made — but acknowledged the registrars are independent elected officials and cannot be ordered by the board.
- The board agreed a letter was the appropriate next step and that it would be sent in the name of the Board of Selectmen, with a copy to the town clerk.

What wasn’t resolved: The registrars did not attend the meeting; the board did not issue any penalties or a formal inquiry beyond the letter. Board members signaled they would accept a written response from the registrars or an in-person meeting if the registrars chose to schedule one.

Next steps: The board asked staff to draft the letter and circulate it to board leadership for approval. Several selectmen said they would follow up on communications improvements and on whether the town should widen its public-notice distribution (press releases, town social channels) for future referendums.