Plainville Select Board votes to opt out of no-excuse vote-by-mail for local election

The Plainville Select Board voted to opt out of offering no-excuse vote-by-mail for its upcoming annual local election, citing staffing burdens and upfront costs.

Unidentified Speaker 1, a staff member, reminded the board that this is the third year the group has discussed the Votes Act mandate that generally requires vote-by-mail unless a select board opts out. The speaker said the town has twice previously chosen to opt out and that absentee ballots — available under state law for voters who are out of town, have a disability or hold religious objections — will continue to be offered.

The staff member said the no-excuse option is labor- and postage-intensive and that the town’s postage budget is currently "maxed out." They also said the State Auditor’s Office, through its Division of Local Mandates, will now allow towns to submit vote-by-mail costs for certification but "they do certify them, but it does not guarantee reimbursement." The staff member added the town could request advance funding from the finance committee to cover upfront expenses that might later be certified.

Unidentified Speaker 2, a Select Board member, said they would like to make voting as easy as possible but warned the additional workload and costs for town staff are significant. "The toll on your workers is high," the board member said.

The board member formally moved "that the Select Board vote to opt out of no excuse early voting by mail in our local election," and a second was offered. The motion was put to a voice vote and an "Aye" was recorded. The transcript does not include a roll-call tally or any 'no' or 'abstain' responses, and the exact vote count was not specified.

What this means: Plainville voters will not receive automatic no-excuse vote-by-mail ballots from the town for the local election unless the board later changes course. Voters who meet state-law criteria for absentee ballots will remain able to request those ballots.

The town did not specify a date for any follow-up votes or a timetable for submitting cost certifications to the state auditor. The board did not link the opt-out to any particular ballot measure or ordinance in the meeting record.