The deadline for getting your name on the ballot as a candidate for Town Meeting is February 9, 2016. Sign up in the Town Clerk's office in Town Hall. You must be a registered voter in the Town of Amherst. All it takes is one signature. If you have any questions, contact the Town Clerk at 259-3035, TownClerk@amherstma.gov or email the Town Meeting Coordinating Committee (TMCC) at townmeeting@amherstma.gov.
Within a few weeks, the Amherst League of Women Voters will contact candidates who have signed up to be on the ballot to write a few sentences about themselves that will be published in the Amherst Bulletin Election Guide the week before the election. Participating in the Election Guide is a good way to increase votes for a candidate.
If you miss the deadline to be on the Ballot…
If you miss the deadline, you can run a “write-in” campaign by asking friends and neighbors in your precinct to vote for you. Write-in candidates are also advised to contact the Amherst League of Women Voters (http://www.lwvamherst.org/) to participate in the LWV Election Guide that is published in the Amherst Bulletin the week before the Annual Election.
The Annual Town Election takes place on March 29, 2016.
The Annual Town Meeting begins on Monday, May 2, 2016.
Once you are elected you will be mailed packets of information about issues to be decided at Town Meeting. An orientation for newly elected Town Meeting members will take place before the first session of Town Meeting. Educational events such as a Warrant Review, Bus Tour, and Precinct Meetings take place in the month before Town Meeting. Additional information for town meeting members can be found at www.amherstma.gov/tminfo and www.amherstma.gov/tm and by joining the Town Meeting listserv by sending an email to townmeeting@amherstma.gov. Town Meeting members can also join the Town Meeting Email Discussion Group by sending an email with your name, precinct number, and contact information to amhersttownmeeting-subscribe@yahoogroups.com .
Do you need Dependent Care so you can attend Town Meeting Sessions? The Town offers some financial support for Town Meeting members who need to pay for care for children or other household members so they can attend Town Meeting. For reimbursement (at least partial - up to $30 per session), receipts must be turned in to the Select Board Office within 2 weeks of the adjournment of Town Meeting.
Fort River PGO, Fort River School, Amherst, Massachusetts. Your source for Fort River news and events. Sponsored by the Fort River Parent Guardian Organization. All Fort River families are automatically members of the PGO.
