Access to the town clerk’s office in New Ipswich is expected to be sporadic for the foreseeable future, with the town directing those seeking to file an absentee ballot to do so by mail.
Town Clerk Jessica Olson has only been in the office sporadically the last week and a half due to a personal issue, and according to a post on the town’s website, the clerk’s office is not likely to have regular hours “for the foreseeable future.” The site recommends checking daily for open hours and closures.
Town clerks are elected officials, not municipal employees, and by law, have the authority to set their own hours at will.
The clerk’s office has been closed every day this week, but was expected to be open Thursday, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
A member of office staff did open the office at least one day last week to process clerk business such as car registrations.
However, the clerk’s office is also responsible for accepting and processing requests for absentee ballots, a key aspect of their work now, when clerks are reporting record numbers of absentee ballot requests – due to COVID-19 – with less than a month to go before the November presidential election.
New Ipswich Town Moderator Bob Romeril said in an interview Tuesday that absentee ballots are still being processed, and that Olson had mailed 263 ballots on Friday to those that have requested them.
“Anyone who requested a ballot as of last Wednesday, those have gone out,” Romeril said. He said those requests would continue to be processed as they were received. “Those ballots have begun to be received as of [Monday].”
Rules around absentee ballots and who can process them may complicate matters. For example, towns are allowed to have an absentee ballot drop box, but only if it is supervised by an election official such as the town clerk. Romeril said the town is working on a solution to allow absentee ballots to be dropped off in person, including speaking with representatives in Concord about receiving a special dispensation to allow a designated person to accept ballots.
The clerk’s office currently does not have a deputy clerk to fill the duties of the town clerk, as the Select Board fired former Deputy Clerk Nichole Talbot after she pled guilty to obstructing government administration in relation to an April motor vehicle crash.
Requests for absentee ballots can be submitted to the Town Clerk by mail, fax, email, or in person.
Copies of the absentee ballot request form can still be picked up at the town office during business hours, whether or not the clerk’s office is open, or downloaded and printed from the Secretary of State’s website or from the town clerk department page on www.townofnewipswich.org. Once the ballot request form is filled out, residents can still mail, email or fax it to the town clerk’s office in New Ipswich for processing.
According to Romeril, the New Ipswich Post Office is working with the town to expedite the delivery of absentee ballots to prevent mail delays. Usually, all mail delivered to the post office is sent to Manchester for sorting, including mail that would be delivered in town. Absentee ballots are being delivered directly to recipients without being sent out of town.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.