Interested in Running for Election to a Town Office? It's Time To Get the Process Started.

For town residents aspiring to an elected post in town government, it's time to get the campaign process moving.

 Candidates who successfully meet a series of strict deadlines, without a stumble, will find their names on the Great Barrington Annual Town Election ballot on May 9, 2023.

“Half of the job is knowing how the town works and answering residents’ questions and the other half is listening,” said outgoing Selectboard member Ed Abrahams, who won’t seek re-election after serving three terms. “If you have a serious interest in town government operations and in our community, this is a great opportunity.”

Check out the 2023 Town Meeting/Election Calendar, which includes various dates and deadlines for the election process.

Candidates can now begin taking out nomination papers to run for election to a board or committee. Procrastinators who wait until after Friday, March 17 – the last day to take out papers – will have to come back another year.

By March 21, nomination papers must be returned to the Town Clerk’s office at Town Hall by 5 p.m., not a moment later. These papers need a minimum of 30 signatures, typically gathered from friends, neighbors, co-workers and patrons hurrying in and out of post offices or grocery stores.

Town Clerk Jennifer Messina’s team then gets to work verifying that all signatories are actually registered voters in Great Barrington.

If after all that signature collecting the candidate has a change of mind, the deadline for pulling out of the race is April 6, at 4 p.m.  For that, another form is needed: the Withdrawal of Nomination form, which must be returned to the Town Clerk’s office.

Meanwhile, residents who haven't done so should register to vote. Registered voters are reminded to return their annual town street listing forms to Town Hall, to keep their names on the town voter rolls.

Finally, on May 9, town residents vote for their new leaders with paper ballots and Sharpie pens. A peaceful transfer of power is a longstanding tradition in Great Barrington, and the public is invited to join.

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