Hi ,
Voting is officially underway for the Massachusetts Presidential Primary Election! In addition to voting for nominee for president, you will also be voting for: - State committee man - this is a competitive race, I am endorsing Rand Wilson (see below)
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State committee woman - this is uncontested
- Ward committee - this is uncontested except in Ward 5
You can find your sample ballot for Somerville here. If you’re unsure which ward you’re in, you can look it up here, or if you’re like me and love maps, you can check out the Somerville ward map here.
I am also collecting signatures to get on the ballot to run for re-election in the September 3rd primary. Serving as the State Representative of the 27th Middlesex District on Beacon Hill continues to be one of the greatest honors and privileges of my life, and I hope to earn your support for another term in office. I will be collecting signatures at polling places on March 5th and at the Somerville winter farmers market at the Armory on Saturday morning. Come by to say hi and sign my nomination papers!
As a reminder, you have three opportunities to vote in 2024! Please save the dates in your calendar. They include: -
Tuesday, March 5th: presidential primary, a/k/a Super Tuesday
- Tuesday, September 3rd, state primary - I’ll be on this ballot
- Tuesday, November 5th - 2024 election
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Vote Rand Wilson for state committee man
Rand is a union organizer, labor educator, and coalition builder. He founded and leads Somerville Stands Together, a coalition of labor and community organizations fighting for workers’ rights and affordable housing, and brought together a powerful coalition of labor unions and climate advocates for the Somerville Labor-Climate Change Summit.
I think Rand will be a great voice for Somerville within the Democratic Party. His unrelenting drive to fight for economic justice and grassroots organizing, rather than participating in party politics for party politics sake, is deeply refreshing. You can read more about Rand in an op-ed to The Tufts Daily here. I’m thrilled to endorse Rand and thank you for considering him for your vote!
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How to vote in the March 5th primary Early In-Person If you haven’t already cast your ballot, the schedule for the remaining days is below:
- Thursday, February 29 8:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. (all-day and evening hours)
- Friday, March 1, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (morning only)
All in-person early voting will take place in the Council Chambers (2nd floor) at Somerville City Hall at 93 Highland Ave. On Election Day
For those who prefer to vote on Election Day, polls will be open next Tuesday, March 5th, from 7AM – 8PM. Check your polling place before heading out by using the link below. By Mail
If you have already applied to vote by mail, you must return your completed and signed ballot no later than 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5th. You must return your ballot through one of the following methods: Drop Box*
Voters can use one of the drop boxes located around the city to return their application or ballot. Drop boxes are located: - At the Glen Street entrance to the East Somerville Community School ACROSS FROM 66 Glen Street
- In front of the Argenziano School, 290 Washington Street
- In front of the church at 212 School Street
- On the Concourse in front of City Hall 93 Highland Avenue
- Near 182 Summer Street, in front of Saint Catherine of Genoa Church parish parking lot (near the corner of Spring Street).
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In front of the Armory, 191 Highland Avenue
- In front of the Somerville Community Baptist Church 31 College Avenue
- Near 351 Summer Street, in front of the Dilboy Post
- In front of the Tufts Administrative Building, 167 Holland Street
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Outside front of The West Somerville Neighborhood Community School, 177 Powder House Blvd.
*If you are placing your ballot in a ballot drop box, it must be placed in the box no later than 5 p.m. on Election Day so that there is time to collect boxes before polls close at 8 p.m. Polling places on Election Day You can also drop off your mail-in ballot at any polling place on election day. City Hall Voters can return applications or ballots directly to the Elections Department in City Hall, 93 Highland Ave.
Mail
Voters can return ballots by sending them to the Elections Department, 93 Highland Ave., Somerville, MA 02143. However, if your ballot is not received by 8pm on March 5th, your vote will not be counted. As such, we strongly discourage voters from dropping their mail in ballots in the mail and instead drop them in the drop box or at your polling place on election day. |
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Join us for office hours I will be hosting office hours in March, please join us to ask any questions you may have about state and local government! - Monday March 11, 8:30-10am at Brady Towers (for residents), with Senator Pat Jehlen and Ward 3 Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen.
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Saturday March 16, 12pm-2pm, at Forge Baking Co. with a Zoom option available here, with Senator Pat Jehlen, Ward 5 Councilor Naima Sait, and Ward 5 School Committee Member Laura Pitone
Can’t make these dates? Please reach out anytime to erika@electerika.com or via phone at 857-264-1096, feel free to call or text, if I don’t pick up, leave a message and I or my team will call you right back. We will also host joint office hours every month so stay tuned for more dates to meet your elected officials in-person, especially as the weather gets warmer, we will be able to convene outside again! |
Event updates on Beacon Hill and in Somerville
I recently joined Rep. Barber and Rep. Connolly to speak with some amazing young leaders from The Center for Teen Empowerment. We discussed their work on issues that impact our community from affordable housing, immigrant rights and resources, education and school policies, and criminal justice reform, especially the school to prison pipeline. I was truly blown away by their advocacy and thoughtful questions. I look forward to continuing working with them to uplift young people’s voices in Somerville.
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Since taking office, I have proudly served on the Elder Affairs Committee with Senator Pat Jehlen. Earlier this week, hundreds of older adults and advocates for elder affairs came to the State House to advocate for affordable and accessible housing, expansion of home and community-based services, and supporting our most marginalized low-income elders in Massachusetts.
I got to meet with workers and volunteers from Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services, members of Massachusetts Senior Action Council, and the Dignity Alliance. If you’re a senior, please consider joining Massachusetts Senior Action Council, which is a grassroots member-led organization.
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This year, we were lucky to have our first in-person inauguration for the city of Somerville since the Covid-19 pandemic started. Congratulations to all of my elected colleagues in City Hall including Mayor Ballantyne, the Somerville City Council, and the Somerville School Committee! The highlights of the evening for me was spoken word by Smirline Jacques from Teen Empowerment and all the musical performances by community members and SHS students. I also really appreciated Grooversity’s performance dedicated to the New England Innocence Project, a local nonprofit that fights to end wrongful convictions. Finally, I encourage you to check out Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen’s science fair speech (with graphs and data, woohoo!) on municipal government.
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Finally, we had the opportunity to welcome Portugal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho, who gave a fascinating lecture at Harvard University earlier this week. As a Portuguese-American, it’s been a privilege working with the Portuguese Caucus in the legislature, the Consul General, and the Luso-American community in Somerville and East Cambridge. |
As always, it is a joy and honor to serve you in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas! |
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