Needham voters will head to the polls today to pick a new selectman, decide which two candidates will sit on the Park and Recreation Commission and elect 240 Town Meeting members.
The polls will be open in all 10 precincts from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters in Precincts C and D should note that, as they did in the March 6 primary, they will be voting at High Rock School instead of at Newman Elementary School, which is undergoing renovations. However, this time, voting equipment will be set up in the school library, not in the art room as it was in March.
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 - library |
77 Ferndale Rd. |
| Precinct D | High Rock School - library | 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.
Election results will be posted on Needham Patch as they become available tonight.
Below is a quick look at what's on the ballot:
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Selectmen Moe Handel and John Bulian are running unopposed for re-election to their seats on the board, for another three years. A third seat opened up in January when Selectman Jim Healy stepped down. Two candidates are running to fill the remaining two years of his term—Matt Borrelli and Michael Greis. See where they stand on the issues in this video from the League of Women Voters Candidates' Night. Additional information can be found in letters to the editor submitted to Patch over the past few weeks.
PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION
Three candidates are vying for two seats on the Park and Recreation Commission. Incumbent Tom Jacob is seeking re-election to his seat, while Dave DiCicco and Matt Toolan are seeking their first terms on the board. Read more about each of the candidates and their views on various issues in town such as the future of Rosemary Pool or whether Needham should have a dog park, in Patch's Candidates' Night coverage.
BOARD OF HEALTH
There is one open seat on the Board of Health. No one took out papers to run for the three-year term; however, at least two candidates are running write-in campaigns—Jane Fogg and Karen McLeod.
OTHER OFFICES
Uncontested seats and positions that voters will see on the ballot include:
- One Moderator, one year
- Two Selectmen, three years
- One Assessor, three years
- Two School Committee, three years
- One Trustee of Memorial Park - Veteran, three years
- One Trustee of Memorial Park - Non-Veteran, three years
- Two Trustees of Needham Public Library, three years
- One Planning Board, three years
- One Commissioner of Trust Funds, three years
TOWN MEETING MEMBERS
A new map for Needham voting precincts was drawn up following the results of the 2010 U.S. Census. Because of this, all 240 Town Meeting members who were holding seats at the time of the redistricting must run in the 2012 Town Election to keep their seats.
The top third vote getters in each precinct in today's Town Election will receive a three-year term, expiring in 2015. The second third vote getters will receive a two-year term, expiring in 2014. The bottom third vote getters will receive a one-year term, expiring in 2013.
Voters in Needham's 10 precincts will see the same ballot for all the town boards and offices; however, each precinct will have a different list of candidates for Town Meeting.
Voters can select up to 24 individuals for Town Meeting Member in their precinct. Several of the precincts have contested races for Town Meeting, including: Precinct C, where 28 candidates are running (21 incumbents, 7 new); Precinct F, where 29 candidates are running (24 incumbents, 5 new); Precinct G, where 26 candidates are running (16 incumbents, 10 new); Precinct I, where 28 candidates are running (23 incumbents, 5 new); and Precinct J, where 27 candidates are running (20 incumbents, 7 new).
Town Meeting races in Precincts A, B, D, E and H are uncontested.
See complete lists of who is running in each precinct on the specimen ballots show in the photo gallery above, right.