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Hudson Library plans early voting, broadened electorate and a 0.6-mill levy increase proposal
Summary
The Hudson Library board proposed election-rule changes to allow all city electors to vote (expanding beyond library members), a roughly three-week early-voting period, hand-delivered ballots for homebound voters, and plans to seek a renewal levy of 2.9 mil plus a 0.6-mil increase at the next ballot.
The Hudson Library and Historical Society told Hudson City Council on July 22 that it will change its election procedures to expand voter access and prepare to seek a levy renewal in May 2026.
Basil Musniff, identified as the library board president, said an ad hoc committee revised election regulations to let all city electors vote for library trustees rather than limiting ballots to library members. “We are establishing an early voting period of roughly 3 weeks, where basically people can come into the library at any time that the library is open during that period and get a ballot and vote,” Musniff said, describing weekday and weekend early voting inside the library.
Musniff said the board will also implement ballot controls to protect integrity: printed ballots will be sequentially numbered with a detachable stub that records voter ID and name; voters will leave the ballot in a secured box and the stub will be used to track who has voted. For homebound electors the board plans hand delivery of ballots rather than mailing them. The board approved the recommended regulations unanimously and scheduled a special membership meeting for Aug. 23 to adopt them.
On financing, Musniff said the library plans to ask voters to renew its 2.9-mill operating levy with an additional 0.6-mill increase to cover reductions in state support and long-running operating constraints. “We’re seeking a 0.6 increase,” he said, adding the state public library fund has declined and local support will be more important going forward.
Council members asked practical questions about outreach and ballot information. Mister Sutton asked how electors would be notified of early voting and how candidate information would be published; Musniff said the library will publish candidate bios in the local Hudson Hub and on the library website and provide recorded candidate statements in the library’s technology center. Council suggested including citywide communications for public notice if the library’s election is a citywide vote.
Next steps: the library will hold its membership meeting on Aug. 23 to adopt the regulations and, assuming adoption and council cooperation, will seek council approval to place the levy on the May 2026 ballot.
