Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lynn subcommittee approves election warrant; clerk warns inactive-voter rules could require ID at the polls
Summary
The subcommittee approved the election warrant for the Sept. 1 primary and Nov. 3 general election and posted polling places. The city clerk said state rules can place nonresponding voters on an inactive list, requiring photo ID or a utility bill to vote, and urged residents to respond to the city census and watch early-voting notices.
The Lynn election subcommittee on July 7 approved an order directing the city clerk to advertise polling places and early-voting schedules for the Sept. 1, 2026 primary and the Nov. 3, 2026 final election.
The city clerk read the list of polling locations and said polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day and that sample ballots will be available on the city website and at the election office. Early voting is scheduled around the end of August for the primary and mid-to-late October for the final election, with weekend hours and extended weekday hours.
At the meeting a councilor asked whether the city census affects the voter list. The clerk said the census does not determine eligibility but described a state-mandated inactive/active mailing: residents who do not respond and who have not voted in two elections can be declared inactive and, if inactive, must show a photo ID or utility bill to vote. "I urge people to continue to send in the census form or come in and get a blank," the clerk said, adding the office will send an inactive/active mailing and will use social media and local television to publicize early-voting dates.
Councilors discussed outreach measures — sharing links on council pages, placing banners, and coordinating with the mayor's office on robocalls — to alert residents, particularly those who may not realize the consequences of not responding. The subcommittee recorded a unanimous roll-call vote to approve the warrant.
The clerk also noted concerns about accessibility at polling places: committee members said they had received complaints that some accessible voting machines were not working and some poll workers needed retraining. The clerk, who also serves as the city's ADA coordinator, said staff will retrain poll workers, check equipment before election day and work with the disability commission to address any problems.
The subcommittee adjourned with plans for additional outreach and public information ahead of early voting and election day.
