It’s that time of year when we might look inward and ponder, “Is it my time to step up? Shall I run for local office?” According to Acton Town Clerk Leo Mercado, there are eight positions on the town election ballot this year:
- Select Board Member – 2 positions.
- Town Moderator – 1 position.
- Acton-Boxborough School Committee Member – 2 positions.
- Acton Memorial Library Trustee – 1 position.
- Acton Housing Authority Commissioner – 1 position.
- Acton Water District Commissioner – 1 position.
“Remember, there is no requirement to be a registered voter, a property owner, a US citizen, or be of a certain age to run for a town board/committee,” said Lorelei Cooney of the Executive Committee of the League of Women Voters-Acton Area when asked for comment. “If you’ve got the interest and something to offer, please take the next step and take out papers to run. It’s quite an experience.”
The League of Women Voters-Acton Area (LWV-AA) provides information to help people run for office for the first time: a blog, a pdf guide on how to run for public office, and short videos from people who have run in the past.
Acton’s Elections and Voting webpage and 2025 Political Calendar have all the dates you should know:
- January 10, 2025 – Nomination papers available for town positions.
- March 11, 2025 5:00 p.m. – Deadline to obtain nomination papers.
- March 25, 2025 – Last day to file nomination papers with the town clerk.
- March 27, 2025 – Deadline for candidates to withdraw.
- April 15, 2025 – Town Meeting warrant posting deadline.
- April 19, 2025 – Voter registration deadline.
- April 25, 2025 – Applications for Vote-by-Mail must be returned to Town Hall.
- April 28, 2025 – 12:00 noon – In Person Absentee Voting Deadline.
- April 29, 2025 – Annual town elections.
- May 5 and May 6, 2025 – Annual Town Meeting at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School.
To run, you need to collect at least 50 signatures from Acton voters–but it is recommended that you get a few more; 65 is a good number. Good places to collect signatures are the transfer station and in front of Acton Memorial Library, where you will find a high concentration of Actonians. Be ready to answer questions about why you’re running.
Cooney suggests, “When you’re asking folks to sign your papers at the transfer station, libraries, or grocery stores, take the opportunity to ask questions. How do they feel about the way that board or commission is performing? Do they have suggestions on how to improve things? Etc. The better you know your prospective constituents, the easier it will be to develop a platform that resonates with them.”
“Attending meetings in person or online before you decide to run gives you a chance to understand what the board or committee does and whether your skills and experience would be an asset to them. If the answer is “yes”, go for it!” Cooney said. If you want to review old minutes or attend meetings of a Town of Acton board, committee, or commission to learn more about it, agendas and minutes are available at websites available under the “Government” menu item on the Town website. For the Acton Water District Board of Commissioners, comparable information is on their meeting webpage.
If you are not quite ready to run for elected office but do want to contribute to local governance, consider applying for one of the volunteer boards and committees whose members are appointed rather than elected.
Cooney could not resist sharing one of the taglines of the Acton Area League of Women Voters: “Democracy is not a spectator sport.” She said the League encourages every voter in town to get in the game and get to the polls on Tuesday, April 29.
The Acton Area League of Women Voters is known for their “Vote Tuesday” signs that they place across town ahead of elections, and for hosting candidate forums at Town Hall. The group’s core purpose is to inform voters about the people and issues they find on their local ballots.
Franny Osman is Editor-in-Chief of the Acton Exchange and occasionally falls into writing.
