Voters Guide: Special State Primary is Today in Watertown

What you need to know about voting in the April 30 special state primary.

Your Guide to Tuesday's Special State Primary in Watertown

What you need to know about voting in the April 30 special state primary.

Tuesday's special state primary is the next step toward filling the Massachusetts U.S. Senate seat vacated when John Kerry became the U.S. secretary of state. The Special State Primary Ballot  If you’re enrolled as a Democrat, you’ll only have the option of voting for Stephen Lynch, Edward Markey, or Brett Rhyne (write-in candidate). If you’re enrolled as a Republican, you’ll have the options of Gabriel Gomez, Michael Sullivan, or Daniel Winslow. If you’re not enrolled in a political party, you’ll be able to vote in the primary of your choice, and you’ll remain unenrolled after voting. Where to Vote in Watertown The polls in Watertown will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For information on where to vote, see below, or take a look at the town…

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UPDATED: Voter Registration Deadline for Senate Election is Approaching Fast

The primary for the special senate election in Massachusetts will be April 30 but the final day to register is April 10.

[Updated April 9, 11:35 p.m. Note - Town Hall is open later than regular hours on April 10] The campaign to replace John Kerry in the U.S. Senate is heating up, but to have your voice be heard at the poll you must be registered to vote. The deadline to vote in the April 30 primary of the special senate election is Wednesday, April 10. The final special election will be held on June 25. You can register in person at the Town Clerk's Office in Town Hall, 149 Main Street. In addition, you can register at a number of state agencies, including the Registry of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Transitional Assistance, according to the Secretary of State's Website. The Watertown Town Clerk's office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. most …

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Lynch, Markey Hit the Road, Republicans Get Started

Nomination papers deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 27

With only days to go before nomination papers are due in the race for U.S. Senate, last week was a busy one for announced and potential candidates looking to fill the seat left vacant by John Kerry’s appointment to Secretary of State. The Republican field lost one prominent candidate, and another generated a bit of controversy. On the Democratic side, Congressmen Edward Markey (D-Malden) and Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) have been working through their pre-primary debate schedule and campaigning across the state. Democrats Markey and Lynch hit the road Both Democratic candidates hit the road again last week from Pittsfield to Salem, meeting with residents and attending fundraisers. Markey, who represents Watertown in Congress, had …

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Town Clerk: Watertown Will be Ready for Special Senate Election

The state helped pay for the election the last time Massachusetts had a special senate election.

Watertown will run two extra elections this year, and Town Clerk John Flynn said he and his staff will be ready for the special elections to choose a successor to John Kerry in the U.S. Senate after he was named Secretary of State this week. The special election will be held June 25, and if a primary is needed (which seems likely with two Democrats - Edward Markey and Stephen Lynch - saying they will run) will be held April 30. The cost would not be insignificant to the town. Flynn said it would cost around $32,000 to run the two elections. The last time Massachusetts had a special senate election, Watertown and communities across the state received some help. "The last time there was a vacancy in the senate, with the death of Edward …

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OP-ED: Watertown Resident Urges Town Council to Support Reversing Citizens United Ruling

Aaron Hatley urges the Town Council to follow other Massachusetts Communities and pass a resolution asking for the campaign finance ruling to be changed.

  To my fellow Watertown voters, On Nov. 6, in Watertown Districts A, B, and C, just under 63 percent of us voted “Yes” on a non-binding ballot question that supported a constitutional amendment to reverse the effects of the infamous 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC. On Dec. 11, a group of concerned citizens (including your author) will ask the Watertown Town Council to consider a resolution urging our state and federal representatives to work toward that constitutional amendment to reinstate reasonable limits on outside funding in our elections, and to ensure that the strongest voices on election day are yours, and mine, and our fellow citizens’. And we need your support. Seventy-four Massachusetts cities and towns …

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John DiMascio

1:25 am on Sunday, December 16, 2012

Ah, I missed the reference. Let's put it this way, the young Law Students exact attendance record is something I was advised to look in to. It is a matter of public record. But you know.... although I trust my sources, I actually shouldn't not have made that remark until I had first hand knowledge. Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa! So now you can say legitimately say Pot and Kettle to me. …   more ›

LETTER: Watertown League of Women Voters Thanks Residents for Voting in the Nov. 6 Election

Raya Stern, president of the Watertown League of Women Voters, writes to thank the many residents who cast their ballots and hopes they keep participating in future elections.

  Dear Watertown Patch,    The League of Women Voters of Watertown would like to commend the many citizens of Watertown who came out to vote in the election of November 6, 2012. It is very encouraging to see so many people taking advantage of their opportunity to participate directly in our democracy. We hope you all will exercise your right to vote in future elections as enthusiastically. We would also like to praise all those who worked very hard on the election:  those in the Town Clerk's office, the election commissioners, the poll workers and the police who helped them. All these people made sure the election went smoothly.     Thank you!  Raya Stern   President of the League of Women Voters of Watertown

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Election 2012: Non-Binding Ballot Questions Pass, Election Statistics

The three non-binding ballot questions all passed in Watertown. See where questions and candidates fared best in Tuesday's election.

Depending on where you live in Watertown, you could have voted on two or three ballot questions in Tuesday's election — and all three got more support for the "Yes" side. Question 4, which asks the state senator - Will Brownsberger - to do a variety of things, including prevent cuts to government programs such as Medicaid, close federal tax loopholes and redirect military spending to domestic programs, passed with more than 78 percent of the votes. Question 5 in precincts 10-12, which asks the state representative - John Lawn - to take the same steps as Question 4, passed with nearly 76 percent of the vote. In precincts 1-9, the same question was number 6, and was directed to the state representative for that area, Jonathan Hecht. The …

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Watertown's Pettito Devaney Re-Elected to Governor's Council Seat

Marilyn Pettito Devaney won with 75 percent of the vote in the district that covers more than 30 communities.

  [Results updated at 9:35 a.m. on Nov. 7] Voters returned Watertown’s Marilyn Pettito Devaney to an eighth term on the Governor’s Council, Tuesday, supporting her by a wide margin in the race against Newton’s Thomas Sheff. With 95 percent of the 270 precincts counted, Pettito Devaney received nearly 74percent of the votes, according to results collected by Patch and Boston.com. Pettito Devaney, a former Watertown Town Councilor, received 230,222 votes, and Sheff, who had run for mayor in Newton in 2005, received 80,891 votes. Pettito Devaney defeated two challengers in the Democratic primary in September before facing Sheff, who ran as an un-enrolled candidate. The Third District of the Governor’s Council includes 32 communities, from …

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