UPDATED: Ashland Considering Moving Town Meeting & Annual Election From May to June

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ASHLAND – With the COVID-19 pandemic, and non-essential employees and students not able to return to work and the classroom until the earliest May 4, the Town of Ashland will be moving its annual Town Meeting and Election.

The Town Meeting is currently scheduled for May 6.

The annual election is scheduled for May 19.

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State legislation is needed to allow municipalities to move their annual elections and Town Meetings.

Ashland Select Board met Wednesday night and discussed a proposal to move the Town Meeting from May 6 to June 16. A formal vote by the Select Board is expected later this month.

Town Manager Michael Herbert said a possible election date could be June 23. A vote will be needed by the Select Board to set the official date.

Herbert said Wednesday night he believed an annual election could be delayed up until June 30.

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UPDATED: On Thursday, April 2, the State legislature passed governance on municipal elections and legislative branches. The Governor still needs to sign it.

This legislation immediately addresses several challenges affecting municipal functions and operations during the COVID-19 State of Emergency. The bill:

• Allows annual Town Meeting to be delayed beyond June 30, 2020;
• Enables a town moderator or person designated as such to reschedule town meetings for up to 30 days, and to do so multiple times if needed;