Pro (green) and anti (red) new mega school signs created a gauntlet for student voters to negotiate
Friday at Town Hall is the last opportunity for Amherst registered voters to do the their civic duty in a most convient manner i.e. not standing in a long line.
Line at Student Union was consistent all day long
Today was the final day for UMass early voting and it was a pretty impressive turnout: 640 voters. Amherst Town Hall precinct handled 360.
I couldn't help but notice advocates for and against ballot Question 5 -- the $67 million mega school -- were standing on the Student Union stairs, well within the 150 foot distance that is supposed to be maintained for campaign materials.
The Town Clerk said that rule does not apply for early voting although inside the Student Union a sign warned against campaigning "within the voting area."
Last chance Amherst Town Hall Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
16 comments:
Big tip of the cap to everyone involved who brought an early voting place to UMass. The more young people we can get to the polls the better off we will be now and in the long run.
Question - Do you think young voters are more honest- unjaded - or naive-impressionable-gullible ?!
This is bullshit. The Amherst Town Nazi interpreted the 150 foot rule to not only include the ENTIRE Student Union/Campus Center complex but also the ENTIRETY of any building within 150' of ANY PART of those two buildings, INCLUDING ALL 28 STORIES OF THE LIBRARY!!!!!!!
Larry, that's why I quietly helped kill the on-campus polling station.
And now, anything goes. A tale of two extremes.
Gee, Ed. Crazy much?
So, Ed, people that have minds of their own shouldn't have a convenient place to vote. You really love democracy.
So, will there be early voting in the spring town election too? Or is that only statewide elections? It would be great to have help from students to give town meeting the boot.
I hope so.
My office was in the library, and to be denied access to it all day because I was stupid enough to volunteer for Town Meeting? And I couldn't resign either.
You lose a full day of work for BS like this, you'd have a different attitude too.
In hindsight, I should have billed the town...
In answer to Anon 10:35 A.M.: my understanding is No, not this spring. Maybe in the future. But yes, already planned for off-year November elections in 2018.
Amherst voters need to express their opinions about how they felt about early voting to Select Board.
Rich Morse
Anonymous November 4, 2016 at 10:35 AM
My understanding is early voting only applies to the biennial statewide elections, not local elections.
And frankly I'm not crazy about lobbying college students to vote for local issues that they have no understanding of. Last charter election there was a concerted effort to convince students that a vote to preserve Town Meeting was a vote to preserve democracy and a vote for the Charter was a vote for fat cat real estate developers. Fortunately not too many students voted anyway so it didn't affect the final results. But if your hope is to get students to give Town Meeting the boot you'd better realize that you're going to be at a real disadvantage against those lobbying to keep it!
Ed,
Unless rules have changed dramatically, you must have really misunderstood the "no lobbying" rules!
I have been an Amherst Town Meeting member for years. I have also been an Amherst election worker almost as long. If being a Town Meeting member disqualifies me from being 150 feet from a polling location all day, I really think the Town Clerk would have told me by now....
I don't think Ed misunderstood. I think the other 6.875 billion people on the planet are wrong, including me.
Not only students voted at the UMass Student Union, but I think quite a few faculty and staff as well. When I was there I saw campaign signs and campaigners both outside and inside the building, including one person standing right in front of one of the "No Political Activity within the Voting Area" signs about 30 feet from the Cape Cod Lounge voting location.
Ed- Why would allowing union picketers...the Ku Klux Klan..or any other pressure group intimidate voters at the booth like Tammany Hall be a good thing ? Are you an ardent foe of un-corrupted democracy ?
Ed...your job job cleaning the toilets could have waited a day...
Unless rules have changed dramatically, you must have really misunderstood the "no lobbying" rules!
I was explicitly told it by the Town Clerk. It came up in the course of soething else, I forget what.
I have been an Amherst Town Meeting member for years. I have also been an Amherst election woker almost as long. If being a Town Meeting member disqualifies me from being 150 feet from a polling location all day, I really think the Town Clerk would have told me by now....
Why do you think I am upset?
Your "name on the ballot"? Then you shouldn't be allowed there, or I should have.
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