Political season is underway on Martha’s Vineyard and nomination papers are available in all six towns for the upcoming annual elections.
Vineyarders will have four different elections this year. The presidential primary takes place on March 5, annual town elections start in the spring, state primaries are on Sept. 3 and the general presidential election on Nov. 5.
Locally, the Island is expected to see a handful of new leaders, with some announcing they are not planning to run for re-election. Bill Rossi in Chilmark is stepping down from the select board and West Tisbury moderator Dan Waters will take the podium for the last time at this year’s town meeting.
No one has pulled papers for the Chilmark board seat yet, said town clerk Jennifer Christy, but Caroline Flanders is planning to run for the West Tisbury moderator position.
Several select board members around the Island will be up for reelection: Tom Murphy in Aquinnah, Emma Green-Beach and Jason Balboni in Oak Bluffs, Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter in West Tisbury, Arthur Smadbeck in Edgartown and Roy Cutrer in Tisbury.
Nomination papers for the annual town election are due back in Aquinnah on March 28, in Chilmark by March 6, in West Tisbury Feb. 22, in Tisbury by April 23, in Oak Bluffs by Feb. 22 and in Edgartown by Feb. 22.
Tisbury’s election dates are later than usual this year because town meeting will be held at the regional high school performing arts center in Oak Bluffs. Scheduling conflicts also played into the decision, said Tisbury town clerk, Hilary Conklin.
The first election of the year, the presidential primary, will have early voting starting on Feb. 24. Early voting runs through March 1 and election day is on March 5. Voting hours vary between towns.
A full list of positions that are up for election are one the town websites.
Election and town meeting dates are:
Aquinnah town meeting May 14
Aquinnah annual election May 16
Chilmark town meeting April 22
Chilmark annual election April 24
West Tisbury town meeting April 9
West Tisbury election April 11
Tisbury town meeting May 28
Tisbury annual election June 11
Oak Bluffs town meeting April 9
Oak Bluffs annual election April 11
Edgartown town meeting April 9
Edgartown annual election April 11
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