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ELECTIONS
State
Election voting takes place at The Wenham Town Hall, 138 Main
Street. Polls are open from 7:00 AM until 8:00 PM.
Currently, the Annual Town Election takes place at the Buker
School, 1 School Street. Polls for annual town election are
open from 8:00 AM – 12:00 Noon. The school and town hall are
handicapped accessible, and a voting machine is available for
the hearing/seeing impaired.
2012 Election
Dates:
Presidential
Primary – Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Annual
Town
Election – Saturday, May 5, 2012 –
8:00 AM –
12:00 Noon
Annual Town
Meeting – Saturday, May 5, 2012 – 1:00 PM
State Primary
– Thursday, September 6, 2012
State
Election – Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Voter
Registration: All Citizens of the United States are
eligible to vote in Town, State, and Federal Elections if they
are 18 years of age on or before the next election. The
registration deadline is twenty days before each election or
Town Meeting. Residents wishing to register to vote may do so
at the Town Clerk’s Office or the Registry of Motor
Vehicles. You may also register to vote by calling
617-727-2828 or 1-800-462-VOTE and a form will be mailed to
you.
ONLINE VOTER NOTICE -AUGUST 2012
Absentee
Ballots: Election Laws require that Absentee Ballots be
available to Registered voters who meet one of the following
three criteria:
1. Absent from the Town
during hours the polls are open
2. Physical disability which
would prevent voting at the polling place
3. Religious beliefs that
would prevent participation on the day of the election
An
application must be completed and received by the Town Clerk
by noon on the day before the election. You can call the Town
Clerk’s office to request an application, or click on “Forms”
to go to a link at the bottom of this page to download a
copy.
Absentee
Ballots must be delivered through the US Mail to each
requester, or they may be voted at the Town Clerk’s Office.
Voted ballots may be hand delivered to the Town Clerk.
Board of Registrars:
The Board of Registrars operate out
of and in conjunction with the Town Clerk’s office and oversee
certification of signatures on both local and state Nomination
Papers as well as Initiative Petition Papers. The Registrars
are also responsible for keeping the Voter Registration list
up to date and accurate through the Annual Town Census.
Members of the Board of Registrars are: Trudy Reid (Town
Clerk), Roseann Brosenke, Elizabeth Lebel and Polly Beyer.
LICENSES/CERTIFICATES
Business Certificates: Business Certificates (DBA/Doing
Business As) must be filed by an unincorporated business
located in Wenham that is operating under a name other than
one’s own. The fee for a Business Certificate is $20.00 and
is valid for four (4) years. To process a Business
Certificate by mail, please click on “Forms”
to go to a link on the bottom of this page to download a
copy. Please note: a notary must sign your certificate if
you are doing it by mail. A check should be made payable to
“The Town of Wenham”.
Dog
Licenses: Massachusetts General Law 140, Section 137
requires that all dogs six months of age or older must be
licensed. Evidence of a current rabies vaccination must be
provided. Licenses are $10.00 each and run from January 1st
through December 31st. Licenses must be renewed by
January 31st in order to avoid late fees. Kennel
Permits are available at the discretion of the Board of
Selectman and The Animal Control Officer. Kennel Fees are
$200.00 for four (4) or more dogs, up to fifty (50) dogs.
To process a
dog license by mail, please click on “Forms” to go to a link
at the bottom of this page to download a copy of the dog
license application. Once completed, please mail the
application, a copy of the dog rabies certificate, a self
addressed stamped envelope and a check made payable to the
Town of Wenham to the attention of the Town Clerk. Once the
paperwork is received, a dog tag will be mailed to you.
Marriage License:
To apply for a Mass Marriage License, both parties must come
into the Town Clerk’s office together to file a
Marriage Intention. Both must be at least 18 years old or
must obtain a court waiver from the district court.
Premarital blood work is no longer required by the state.
Marriage Licenses are valid for 60 days and may be used to
marry in any Massachusetts city or town. There is a mandatory
three-day waiting period from the application date to the date
the license is issued. This can be waived only through a
court order. The fee for a marriage license is $15.00.
Hunting
and Fishing Licenses:
Beginning
January 1, 2012, hunting and fishing licenses will no
longer be sold at the Wenham Town Clerk’s Office.
The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) is announcing
that all licenses and permits will be obtained electronically
from either a home computer, participating license vendor, or
from a DFW office. Licenses, stamps, and permits for the 2012
calendar year will be available for purchase in early
December. See
link to FAQs to find out more about purchasing your 2012
licenses and reporting your game online!
ALL LICENSES CAN
NOW BE PURCHASED VIA THE INTERNET FROM THE FOLLOWING STATE
LINK:
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/index.htm
A list of
official Massachusetts license vendors will be available
online in early December at:
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/licensing/vendors/license_vendors.htm
and at MassWildlife offices, located in Ayer (978) 772-2145;
Belchertown (413) 323-7632; Boston (617) 626-1590; Bourne
(508) 759-3406; Dalton (413) 684-1646; West Boylston (508)
835-3607; and Westborough (508) 389-6300.
THOSE
RESIDENTS THAT DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER FROM THEIR
HOME CAN USE THE H-W PUBLIC LIBRARY COMPUTERS AS A LOCAL
RESOURCE WHEN THE STATE SYSTEM GOES ON LINE.
VITAL RECORDS
Certified copies of Birth, Death and
Marriage records are available at $5.00 each. Copies may be
obtained by mail by submitting a written request with a check
payable to the “Town of Wenham” and a self-addressed stamped
envelope, or by appearing in person at the Town Clerk’s office
during office hours.
RAFFLE
PERMITS
A Raffle Permit is needed by any organization that intends to
run a raffle. Only Non-Profit organizations that have
been in existence for at least two (2) years qualify for a
raffle permit. Permits are $10.00 each and are good for
one (1) year.
To apply for a raffle permit
by mail, please click on "Forms" or go to
the link at the bottom of this page to download the
application.
OTHER
SERVICES
Street Listing:
The annual publication, mandated by Massachusetts General
Laws, lists all persons seventeen years of age and older,
giving address, year of birth, occupation and voter status.
Booklets are printed up for the use of town officials,
fire/police depts. and any and all other town committees or
boards. Copies are available to Wenham residents at $10.00
each, $20.00 non residents, as available.
Notary Public Services:
Notary Public Services are available in the office of the Town
Clerk. The individual who is having his or her signature
notarized must provide proper identification. Reminder:
Document MUST BE signed in the presence of the Notary – DO NOT
SIGN IT AHEAD OF TIME!!
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