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Select Board votes to opt out of automatic by‑mail town ballots for 2026, authorizes police details for elections
Summary
After a public hearing, the Select Board voted to opt out of mandatory town‑wide by‑mail ballots for the 2026 annual town election and authorized the police chief to assign police details for 2026 elections; the town clerk reviewed five‑year absentee ballot application counts and nomination deadlines for May 4, 2026.
The Foxboro Select Board voted on Jan. 6 to opt out of automatic by‑mail ballots for the town's 2026 annual election and to authorize police details for upcoming elections.
Town staff explained that a 2022 change in state law makes by‑mail ballots mandatory for state elections and requires towns to opt out for municipal elections if they prefer on‑site voting. The town clerk presented five years of absentee application statistics (examples given: 19 absentee applications in 2021, about 72 in 2022 during higher turnout years, 150 applications in 2024 for a contested municipal year) and said Foxboro historically has low absentee usage because voters often come to the polls.
"I think the better way to handle it is if they're interested in voting and they can't make it, they take advantage of the absentee voting process," the town clerk said, noting multiple ways to request an absentee ballot.
After the public hearing the board voted to decline the automatic mail‑out option for annual town elections in 2026. The board also moved to "authorize the chief of police to assign police details" for the town election on May 4, the state primary on Sept. 1, and the November state election. The clerk reminded residents that nomination papers for local offices will be available Jan. 20 and must be returned by March 16. The board recorded the votes as unanimous.
