Board of Registrars of Voters

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 51 Section 15 requires that there shall be in every city or town, other then one having a board of election commissioners or an election commission, a Board of Registrars of Voters. 

Registrars Must Meet the Following Qualifications:

Must be a registered voter in the Town of Boylston unless regularly employed by the Registrars, MGL Chapter 51, Section 25;

Must hold no other office in theTown of Boylston, either by election or by direct appointment by the Board of Selectmen, or hold an office by election or appointment under the government of the United States or of the Commonwealth, MGL Chapter 51, Section 25;

Must subscribe to an oath to faithfully perform the duties of Registrar, MGL Chapter 51, Section 23.

The Board of Registrars of Voters is Responsible For:

Maintaining accurate lists of registered voters in Boylston.

Preparation and publishing of Boylston resident lists.

Voter registration.

Processing voter registration changes.

Hearing complaints of illegal or incorrect registration.

Accepting and certifying nomination papers and petitions.

Rendering decisions regarding objections and challenges.

Processing of vote-by-mail applications.

Maintenance and testing of voting equipment.

Certifying of elections.

Presiding over election recounts. 

The Board also conducts an annual census and has other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned to them under Chapter 51 of the Massachusetts General Laws.

Selection and Appointment to the Board:

Annually (by April 15th), the Boylston Town Clerk reaches out to the appropriate Town Party Committee to request names of candidates interested in appointment to the Board of Registrars.  Town Party Committees have 45 days to respond (June 1st).  After due consideration, the Board of Selectmen chooses a name from the list (or from among outside candidates if no list is provided) and holds a vote to appoint that candidate to the Board of Registrars of Voters. 

The Board of Registrars consists of three (3) persons appointed for three (3) year terms, with one (1) member appointed each year as prescribed in MGL Chapter 51, Section 15.  The fourth (4) member of the Board is the elected Town Clerk.  As nearly as possible, the members of the Board shall represent the two leading political parties.  No more than two members of the Board can be of the same political party.  The Board votes in the Chair from among its members.

Meeting Schedule:

The Board meets at a minium every spring to organize and select a new Chair.  Other meetings are scheduled as necessary and tend to be more frequent during busy election cycles.

Contact the Board:

The Board of Registrars may be contacted via the Boylston Town Clerk's Office at either (508) 869-2234 or dporter@boylston-ma.gov.

 

Board Members

NameTermParty AffiliationTitle

2023

Unenrolled

Clerk (ex-officio)

Cindy Sears

2025

Democrat

Registrar

2024

Republican

Chair

Vacancy One

2023

VACANT

Registrar

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