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Your Guide to the Primary in Needham

A quick look at polling changes, where to vote and what's on the ballot

 

Several Needham voters will be casting their ballots at new polling locations this Super Tuesday.

Today’s Massachusetts’ Presidential Primary marks the town’s first election since Needham’s precinct map was redrawn following the 2010 U.S. Census. The new map changed boundaries to six of the town’s 10 precincts—B, C, F, G, H and I—and means all 240 Town Meeting members must run for their seats in the town election on April 10.

For today, the changes will mainly be seen in where Needham residents go to vote: A new precinct could mean a new polling place. All registered voters should have received information alerting them to their new precinct and polling location if it has changed, but Town Clerk Tedi Eaton said she expects some people will still have questions.

In addition, Precincts C and D—which usually vote at Newman Elementary School—will be voting at High Rock School’s Room 239 (the art room) today because Newman is still being renovated.

Another temporary change that voters should be aware of: Precinct A and B polls will be set up in the Hillside Elementary School cafeteria, not the gymnasium as they usually are, Eaton said.

All Needham polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Below is a complete list of locations by precinct:

PRECINCT   POLLING LOCATION   ADDRESS
Precinct A Hillside School - cafeteria  28 Glen Gary Rd.
Precinct B Hillside School - cafeteria       28 Glen Gary Rd.
Precinct C High Rock School - Art Room 239    77 Ferndale Rd.
Precinct D High Rock School - Art Room 239 77 Ferndale Rd.
Precinct E Pollard Middle School - Inner Room   200 Harris Ave.
Precinct F Stephen Palmer Community Room 83 Pickering St.
Precinct G Broadmeadow School - Performance Center   120 Broad Meadow Rd.
Precinct H Broadmeadow School - Performance Center 
120 Broad Meadow Rd.
Precinct I Mitchell School - gymnasium 187 Brookline St.
Precinct J Mitchell School - gymnasium 187 Brookline St.

As a quick reference, individuals can go online to wheredoivotema.com and enter an address to find their polling location.

Residents also can call the town clerk’s office for information at 781-455-7510.

Needham will have six different ballots being distributed today—one each for the Republican, Democratic and Green-Rainbow parties, split between two senatorial districts, according to Eaton.

Voters in precincts A, B, C, I and J will receive ballots for the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex Senatorial District, while voters in precincts D, E, F, G and H will receive ballots for the Norfolk and Suffolk Senatorial District.

While the new senatorial districts do not officially go into effect until the November election, the change will impact which candidates voters can choose in today's primary to serve on the Republican State and Democratic State committees.

Depending on their party, local voters will also be selecting Needham residents to serve on the Republican Town Committee and Democratic Town Committee. Voters in both senatorial districts will see the same list of Needham residents for the town committees.

Eaton said she is not expecting a large turnout for today’s presidential primary, although she did note that her office had received more than 300 absentee ballot applications.

Eaton is expecting things to pick up with the town election on April 10 and even more so with the presidential election later this year.

“November will be huge,” she said.

Related Topics: Elections, Polling Locations, Presidential primary, Redistricting, Senatorial District, Specimen Ballot, Super Tuesday, Tedi Eaton, Town Clerk, and Voting

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