ELIGIBILITY: Any registered voter in the town of Arlington is eligible.

TERM: Three years. Some precincts will have one or two year terms available due to current town meeting resignations. You may run for the three-year term and any unexpired terms.

The dates of the town election and deadlines for nomination papers change every year. The Local Election Calendar is published on the Town Clerk's page of the town website.

NOMINATING PETITION: Obtain nomination papers from the Town Clerk's office before 5:00 PM on Thursday, February 15. The petition must be signed with 10 certifiable signatures from your precinct -- substantially as they are listed on the voting list--therefore it is advisable to collect 16 signatures in case some are disallowed. Signed petitions must be submitted to the Town Clerk by 5:00 PM on Monday, February 26. The last day to withdraw your name from the ballot is Wednesday, March 14. Nomination papers are available from the Town Clerk’s Office.

PRECINCT MAPS: These are available at the Town Clerk’s office and online at Precinct Map

VOTING LIST: Request a copy of the list of registered voters for your precinct when you file your nomination papers. A complimentary copy is available on computer disk once a candidate has filed to run. This list is useful for door-to-door canvassing. Lists that identify the voters in the last Town election are also available for a fee. You may also request a copy of the Arlington True List – this list is organized by precinct and within the precinct, alphabetically by street name and address. The True List identifies all adults living in the town as of last year’s town census. It can be helpful in identifying supporters within your precinct.

BALLOT: Ballot position is determined by lottery on Thursday, March 15. Check with the Town Clerk’s office for the time and location.

PUBLICITY: The Arlington Advocate will devote approximately 4 pages to the Town election in the weeks before the election, usually March or early April. A form requesting biographical information and asking questions on Town issues will be sent to the candidates by the League of Women Voters. The questions and your responses will be published in the Advocate prior to Election Day and published in a Voters Guide which is available at Candidate’s Night, Town Hall, the Library and the Senior Center. The questionnaire will be mailed to you in February with a reply deadline of one week. Due to the large number of candidates, space for answers is limited to 100 words. League members will edit replies exceeding the announced limit. Preferred responses are by e-mail to LWVotersGuide@comcast.net. Otherwise, typed responses will facilitate the accuracy of transcription.

HANDOUT: Most candidates have a sheet or card printed to advertise themselves. If it is to be sent through the mail, it can be no smaller than 3.5" x 5.0" and no larger than 6.125" by 11.5". Include your name, address, length of residence in Arlington, public positions held, community activities and any message you wish to convey. You might indicate your intention to participate in Candidates Night. Endorsements can also be included. Supporters may wish to hand write messages and sign them.

WALKING THE PRECINCT: Nothing is more effective! Knock on doors; leave your handout. You will find that most people are either not at home or will simply take your card and say thank you. If they ask you questions, either answer them or promise to provide an answer later and remember to get back to them with accurate information. You are not expected to know everything as a new candidate! DO NOT LEAVE YOUR HANDOUT IN THE MAILBOX. THIS IS ILLEGAL. You are liable for postage on every piece the Postal Service finds in this manner. Place it securely between doors, under the doormat, or in another obvious place. You want the voters to see your handout, but you do not want them angry because it litters their yards.

There are over 800 dwellings per precinct. That’s a daunting number. Many successful candidates pool their efforts by combining the distribution of handouts. Each candidate takes a portion of the precinct and distributes the handouts for the group. That way, the whole precinct can be covered with much less individual effort.

CANDIDATES NIGHT: Scheduled for Thursday, March 29, 7:30 PM at Town Hall and run by the LWV of Arlington and Vision 2020. You and your fellow Town Meeting Member candidates can meet with constituents at designated locations in Town Hall. You should be familiar with the warrant and be aware of the major issues facing the town, especially if it directly affects your precinct. It is acceptable to say that you have not made up your mind on a particular issue.

NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS: Contact your neighborhood organization, if you have one, and ask if they have a candidates night.

COFFEE PARTIES: You can organize your own in homes in the precinct. You might attend parties given for town-wide candidates and ask if you can introduce yourself as a Town Meeting candidate.

CANDIDATE ANNOUNCEMENTS: The Arlington Advocate: Letters from candidates and supporters will be considered for publication if they address specific campaign issues; letters should be 400 words or less and must include the writer’s name, address and phone number. The writer must be a resident of Arlington. Readers may submit one letter every four weeks to be considered for publication. No letters of endorsement or letters that raise allegations or new charges against a candidate will be published after the possiblity of a response, which would be after the issue that comes out 2 weeks before the election..

TELEPHONING: Another way to let people in your precinct know that you are running.

STAND AT THE POLLS ON ELECTION DAY: Stand at the polling place with a sign, or handouts, or both. You must be 150 feet from the nearest entrance – marked, usually a white hash mark on the sidewalk or a nearby tree. If the 150-foot mark is not obvious, ask the policeman on duty where to stand. You may not leave your sign unattended. You will probably have company. DRESS very WARMLY in layers – and don’t forget gloves.

ORIENTATION: Vision 2020 and the Arlington League of Women Voters sponsor an orientation meeting for new members. At the Warrant Review new Town Meeting members are introduced to the rules of order and procedures of Town Meeting and will receive information on select warrants.

• Inform yourself about Town government.
• Inform yourself about warrant articles.
• Attend information meetings, hearings.
• Attend all sessions of Town Meeting. They begin at 8:00 PM and go to 11:00 PM Mondays and Wednesdays, beginning on April 23 and continuing until all articles have been acted upon.
• Get to know the other Town Meeting Members from your precinct. They will meet during the first or second session to elect officers.
• Listen to the concerns of your constituents and let them know what you think about issues.
• Attend related meetings and keep informed.

From the Town Bylaws: