Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
State campaign finance office warns towns: public resources can’t be used to sway ballot‑question votes
Summary
At the Peaslee Building Committee meeting, the Office of Campaign and Political Finance told Northborough officials that appointed, paid public employees may not solicit or receive funds for ballot‑question campaigns and urged legal review before distributing election‑related materials; officials were advised how town meeting communications differ from ballot‑question rules.
Jason Tate, education director at the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance, told the Peaslee Building Committee on Feb. 24 that public resources may not be used “to influence voters” in ballot‑question elections and that appointed, compensated public employees may neither solicit nor receive funds for political purposes.
Tate walked the committee through common examples that can run afoul of the rules: using government postage, staff time, copiers or mass‑mailing systems to push advocacy; school newsletters or unsolicited emails from municipal accounts that urge a vote; and public employees reposting fundraising appeals on social media. He said…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
