Frequently Asked Questions

Here are several answers to the most common questions. If you have a question that isn't answered here, please contact me.

When is the election?
May 2, 2006. The polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Where do I vote?
If you live in Brookline's Precinct 1, you vote at Wheelock College, 43 Hawes Street.

How do I know if I live in Precinct 1?
Precinct 1 is the Northeastern most precinct in Brookline. It's bordered by Comm Ave to the North and the Muddy River to the South, by Saint Pauls Street to the West and Saint Marys Street to the East. Precinct 1 is the white region in this map.

What if I can't make it to the polls on May 2?
Absentee ballots are available. Please contact Tommy to arrange for an absentee ballot to be mailed to you. Alternatively, they can be obtained from the Town Clerk's office by visiting the Town of Brookline's Web site.

What if I'm not registered?
Voter registration forms are available. Please contact Tommy and he will bring you a voter registration form. Alternatively, you can get one from the Town Clerk's office, or from the Town Hall lobby, the Brookline Public Library (as well as the branch libraries), United States Post Offices and various other locations throughout the state.

Mail-in forms may be obtained by calling the State Elections Division at (800) 462-VOTE. In addition, the state registries of motor vehicles, social service agencies and military recruitment offices provide voter registration services.

For more information, visit the Town of Brookline's Voter Registration Guide.

What is Town Meeting?
For a good outline of Town Meeting, visit the Town Meeting entry at Wikipedia.

Where can I find information about Brookline's Town Meeting?
Brookline is divided into 16 precincts, each with 15 Town Meeting Members serving offset 3 year terms. Therefore, 5 Town Meeting Members are up for election every year. This year Precinct 1 will also have a special election for a sixth seat with a one year term, due to a former Town Meeting Member resigning. More information about Brookline's Town Meeting can be found here.

What's a slate?
A slate is a collection of like-minded candidates. Since you can vote for up to five Town Meeting Members for three year seats and up to one Town Meeting Member for the one year special election seat, you can actually support the entire slate.

Why run as a slate?
We share a common overall vision for Precinct 1 and Brookline as a whole. We certainly won't vote in lock-step, but we share similar ideas about fair representation for all people in Precinct 1, public schools, and open and green spaces. Since Town Meeting Members are more effective when there is open dialogue between Members and the citizens at large and between the Town Meeting Members themselves, we thought we could be more effective Town Meeting Members if we started working together now.