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Millis town clerk presents staffing plan, mail‑in ballot surge and possible charter change
Summary
Interim Town Clerk Cathy Smith updated the Finance Committee on rising mail‑in ballot demand after a state law change, an uncertain charter change that could make the clerk appointed rather than elected, and the office’s FY26 staffing and training requests.
Cathy Smith, interim Town Clerk for the Town of Millis, told the Finance Committee on March 12 that demand for mail‑in ballots has jumped since a 2022 change to Massachusetts law and that the clerk’s office is budgeting for either continued elected staffing or transition to an appointed clerk, depending on outcomes of pending Select Board and town meeting actions.
Smith and deputy Deirdre Gilmore described a rapid expansion of mail‑in ballot requests: the town mailed about 3,325 ballots for the 2024 presidential election and received approximately 2,500 back. Smith said the increase followed a change to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 54, Section 25, under which all registered voters receive a state postcard asking whether they want a mail‑in ballot; if a voter checks “all elections,” local contests are…
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