Norton Elections Starting Later

The Norton Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 on Thursday to change the opening time for voting in elections from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m.

The move came because of the ease of availability of absentee ballots and the relatively low volume of early morning voters.

“Some of the towns start at 10 a.m. or noon,” said selectman Timothy Giblin. “I think that might put some strain on the voters.”

Selectmen said about 50 people on average vote between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m.  and with the availability of absentee ballots, which used to be much harder to obtain, voters should have no problem getting their voices heard.

“I think it used to be you had to prove you were not going to be around to get an absentee ballot,” said selectmen chair Robert Kimball. “It’s much easier now.”