Acushnet Town Clerk Apologizes After Shortened Election Hours Spark Debate

ACUSHNET (WBSM) — The Acushnet Town Clerk issued a statement addressing controversy over the reduced hours for the town’s recent election, in which there were no contested races, offering her “sincere apologies for any inconvenience” the decision may have caused.

Normally, Acushnet allows for voting in municipal elections between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

However, for the April 28 election, those hours were cut back to 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Why Were Acushnet Election Hours Reduced?

“The adjustment to polling hours was made after careful consideration as part of an effort to responsibly manage municipal resources,” Town Clerk Pamela Labonte said in her statement to the citizens. “This year’s ballot included no contested races, five open seats, and only one known write-in candidate. Based on these factors, voter turnout was anticipated to be limited, and the decision was made to align election operations accordingly.”

How Low Was Voter Turnout in Acushnet?

Indeed, voter turnout was low, as the unofficial tally shows only 565 ballots cast out of 8,883 registered Acushnet voters – a voter turnout of just 6.36 percent. Labonte herself garnered the most votes of any candidate, re-elected to another three-year term as Town Clerk with 525 votes.

“The Board of Selectmen’s decision was based on my recommendation, and my 18 years of experience administering local elections and evaluating voter participation trends,” Labonte said.

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Just as with the Town Clerk position, there were also only single candidates for Selectman, Assessor, Board of Health, Planning Commissioner, Cemetery Board, Library Trustee, and Housing Authority. Commissioner of Trust Funds, Park Commissioner and Tree Warden positions drew no candidates. Two people ran for School Committee, which had two three-year terms to fill.

How the Town of Acushnet Communicated the Changes

Labonte pointed out that early voting by mail was available for a full month before Election Day, and that absentee voting remained available until noon on the day before the election.

She also said that her office “undertook multiple efforts to communicate the adjusted election hours,” including discussion at the Board of Selectmen meeting, Facebook posts, notices on the Town website and on the calendar pages of all boards and commissions, direct notification through the Town’s alert system, messaging on six digital signs throughout the community, and the post of the warrant and sample ballot in 13 public locations.

“I recognize, however, that changes to established voting hours may present challenges and may not have met the needs or expectations of all voters,” she said. “I regret any frustration this may have caused and take these concerns seriously.”

What’s Next for Acushnet Voters?

Labonte also reminded residents that the Old Colony District ballot question about the proposed new school building project was not included on the municipal election ballot, but will be part of a separate election scheduled for Saturday, June 20 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“If there is a positive outcome from this situation, it is the level of community engagement it has generated,” Labonte said. “I am encouraged by the increased public interest and hope it will inspire broader participation in local government.”