Special Preliminary & Municipal Elections for Boston City Council District 7

The Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Boston is providing you with the following information in the hope that you will share it with your members, colleagues, friends, and voters in the District Seven community.

SPECIAL PRELIMINARY MUNICIPAL ELECTION
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Last Day to Register to Vote for 2/15: January 26, 2011

SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Last Day to Register to Vote for 3/15 is February 23, 2011

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. till 8 p.m. on the election days.

The vote registration deadlines apply to address changes as well as voter registration. Voters must be registered at their District Seven residences in order to participate in these elections.
Many voters are asking Election Department staff why these elections are being held in the middle of winter. The formula for determining the dates for special municipal elections is established by law, once an office is formally declared vacant. In this particular instance, the City Council chose the earliest possible date for the election to be held, so that District Seven would not be without representation.

CERTIFIED CANDIDATES (according to February 15, 2011 Ballot Order)
Natalie E Carithers [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter]
Danielle Renee Williams
Cornell Mills [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter]
Tito Jackson [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter]
Roy Owens [Website]
Althea Garrison

POLLING LOCATION CHANGE
Northeastern University's Matthews Arena is unavailable on February 15 due to a previously scheduled event. The Election Department was forced to find new locations for Ward 4 Precincts 5 and 8, which voted at the Arena. Beginning with the February 15 Special Preliminary Municipal Election, Ward 4 Precinct 5 will vote at SymphonyPlaza East, 334 Massachusetts Avenue. Ward 4 Precinct 8 will vote at SymphonyPlaza West, 333 Massachusetts Avenue. All registered voters in these precincts will receive a first-class mailing next week advising them of the changes. Additionally, advertisements have been purchased in community newspapers.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS
Given the unpredictable nature of February weather, the Election Department strongly suggests that any voter, particularly the elderly, who may have difficulty getting to his/her polling location in bad weather, consider applying for an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots must be requested in writing. Visit the Department's website: www.cityofboston.gov/elections for an in-depth explanation of the absentee ballot process, or to print out an application for an absentee ballot. Any voter who wishes to vote absentee should not delay getting his or her application to the Election Department as soon as possible to allow time for mailing.

Please contact the Boston Election Department at 617-635-3767 if you have any questions

one down, plenty to go

It appears the homie, Bob Terrell, won't be running for an at-large city council seat after all. I had his Feb 27th campaign kick-off already in my calendar. Via email, he let folks know that he was bowing out gracefully.

Just a brief note to inform folks that, unfortunately, I'v had a major change in plans. I will not be running for public office this year. Having made a decision to run in late November 2008 this left us with a short amount of time to prepare for a major undertaking in 2009. It appears that we will not be able to put everything in place that we need in time to run an effective campaign.

I would like to thank those of you who expressed an interest in my candidacy but please be assured that I will be running for office in the not to distant future. I will keep my "account" with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance open so that I can activate a Committe-to-Elect any time I choose.

In the meatime i will not be idle. I will continue to be active on issues facing the City of Boston and buildings towards a run in the future. This will give me the time I need to develop the organization and gather the resources needed to win. Thanks again for your interest and support. I'll be in touch soon.

I got to know Bob 2 years ago when we worked on Mr Henriquez's campaign. I'm glad to see that he's still planning to launch a run for office in the near future. He's one of the city's leading voices in terms of public transit and is very involved with both ACE and the Roxbury Neighborhood Council. But....Sam Yoon finally decided to throw his hat in the race for mayor.