Hello everyone. This is Debbie Surriani and welcome to Age Friendly Chsford. I'm the chair of the age friendly committee. I'm also the director of the Chumsford Senior Center and your regular host here on Age Friendly Chumsford and I have two
wonderful guests today. Thank you so much for joining me. I have Maria Companion from the town clerk's office. You are the deputy clerk. >> Yes. >> Welcome, Maria. >> Thank you, Deb. >> And I have Aaron Cunningham, select board member, Aaron Cunningham, as well
as regular volunteer. Well, most people don't realize that select board is a volunteer position. No, I know that my husband used to be on the select board in Westford and um it was shocking. People really didn't
realize it was a volunteer position. So, I thank you very much for stepping up to that. Appreciate >> that. >> Um so, thanks so much for coming today. Today, we're talking about civic participation. Again, it's a very important subject. It's part of an age
friendly community, making people feel like they are um part of the fabric of what makes the the town tick and we're so we're trying to encourage that more and more uh and make sure that people know that it's important to let your
voice be heard and be part of the process. So this is why I invited you both um because you're big part of the process. So, um, Maria, we have a lot of elections coming up that talk about big big part of the process. Do you want to tell me first of all, you know what? Let
me back back up a little bit. Tell me a little bit about what you do in your job. >> Thank you. Yes. So, my title is now deputy clerk. So, I am Trisha Durus's deputy. She is the town clerk. And so, we have our town clerk, the deputy
clerk, and our assistant town clerk. And we also have a departmental services coordinator. And so it is the four of us plus all of our volunteers and election workers um doing our regular day-to-day business in addition to um so we do many
other things um like vital records and filing business certificates. We um the town clerk is responsible for recording the minutes for town meeting and getting all the town meeting reps ready. And uh
we also maintain the board and committee database for all of um our board and committee members. And just to name a few, there are other things we do as well, dog licensing. And so one of the most important things that we do is of course the elections. So thank you for inviting me to talk about that today
because I could go on and on all day long about your show, Deb. I was like, >> so I'm going to try really hard to stick to the points and um I thank you for that and um it is the importance of
voting and and a lot of people don't know um a lot of the behind the scenes or for why things happen and why there's a different number of elections each year even. Um so I am going to plug our social media really quick actually.
Absolutely do it because um our >> slide on the social media >> not for this. I just thought of this right now. >> Wait a minute. >> Um I I didn't think to do that, >> but we are Chford Town Clerk's office is on um Facebook and Instagram and our assistant town clerk Pam um is always
trying to come up with ideas to um increase public engagement, especially when it comes to voting. >> Actually, it's kind of a riot if you look it up because they're very playful. They're very uh >> it's been engaging. >> Yes, it's it's been fun and it's um it's
nice to work for a town that we have um town management like our department head and town management that supports that type of engagement because I mean if you think about it it's 2026 and like we just have to >> you know modern times that is how you
get public engagement now. So, yes, we still absolutely utilize our website um and everything that we push out there. Um you can subscribe to receive alerts on the town website. And so whenever we push out a news flash, you'll get that
right to your email if you want to sign up for that. And then of course, if you're on Facebook and Instagram, follow us um because we push out um a lot there to try to increase um more participation and voter turnout. There are songs,
there are jokes, there are costumes. I mean, just check it out. >> It's so much fun. So, whenever we we hear about a trend, we're like, "Oh, how can we relate this to, oh, wouldn't it be funny if we related it in this way?"
And so, that's been really fun to try to make um town government fun because nobody thinks of that as being fun, but we try to make it fun. Um, and so I think the the biggest point that we like to remind people of is simply the
importance of voting. Um, the majority of voters tend to have a tendency to only vote in presidential or state elections, but one of our favorite lines is all elections matter um including
your local elections. And so, um, we do have a flyer for upcoming elections that are occurring in 2026. And so, why I brought up the social media pages is because, um, our assistant town clerk, Pam, she did a
video on, um, the election schedules in Massachusetts and how we're on a 4131 schedule. um which means that in presidential election years we have four elections and then in odd number of years it's only our local election
unless there's a special called and then the year after which is the one we're in right now is a three election year. >> And where can you usually find that information? Um I mean it's obviously on all those pages, right? But um online if
you're not online, how do you find that stuff out? We have things posted at town hall for any visitors that come and um other departments have been really helpful with um like the town manager's office has been pushing out newsletters and um our health department actually
utilizes the TV in the hallway to put up slides. So we try to um submit for those so that >> our newsletter our senior >> Yes. the senior center newsletter and um we always welcome folks to call us if they're not if you don't have a computer
at home um just call us during our business hours and so I might be jumping ahead but thank you for tellia um these are the the hours at town offices and then for our office which is the town clerk's office if you have questions
about elections um concerns anything just feel free to call us And um of course if you do have a computer at home, just go right to the website or call us or or come visit us and we're happy to walk you through anything that you have questions for.
>> They're a friendly bunch. Definitely. >> We try. >> Definitely. >> And they have cookies for your dogs, too. >> You bring your dog >> and your well behaved dogs and licensed dogs. So, I want to also ask um Aaron a little
bit because Aaron, you're not only on the select board, but you're also a volunteer for elections, correct? >> I I I was a volunteer. >> That's not however. >> I a little Yeah, a little stress over
this one. Um, no, it's uh So, first of all, I want to take a second, Deb. There's plenty of volunteer opportunities in town and I know people are always looking to get involved in some way and it can be small one meeting twice a year or anything and that's always on post on the website as well.
Um but obviously the the volunteer I love being a select board member. It's been the the honor of getting through this first year for me. Um but I had to give up my election volunteerism. Um because as a select board member you have access to the legislature. So that
that's just a no no. If you're a town meeting rep, you can still work, just not your precinct. So um I I I have had the the opportunity, you know, people people experience democracy today mostly by voting.
>> I've had the opportunity to be involved in um helping to run that. And I can tell you today that um once you do that, you have a total respect for the process and the effort that the town clerk's office goes through to administer this.
Your other volunteers that are with you, sometimes we're there from 6:00 a.m. until 10 or 11 or 12 at night, right? If you if you volunteer for the whole day, um and I I want to make it very clear, and I tell people this all the time after doing it, I have full confidence
in the process that it works. It's done locally. Local and the local elections matter. I know that matters to you, especially in these years where, you know, there's not a presidential and we have a town election going on. Um, so, you know, for me being being an election
worker, an election volunteer, um, has is something that I, you know, when I'm done with the select board, if the voters are done with me um, on the select board, the first thing I do is go back to Maria and say, "What can I what can I do to volunteer?" Um, because it's just it's it's such a It's an inspiring
process um to be a part of it and and you know at the end of the day it's um it's it's what makes us great at what we do which is is a democracy. Everybody gets a voice. >> Everybody gets in there gets a voice. I can tell you today that you know the
opportunity to be the clerk. I'm kind of responsible for all those ballots. So I have all the blank ballots. >> They're in a cart that stays next to me and I never stray too far from the cart. Um, and it's it's I tell people, "What do you do during elections?" I count and I recount and I count again because
we're counting the blank ballots. We're counting the voted ballots. And there's a process to reconcile it. And I count all day long. I know at any given point how many ballots are out in the bo, how many are on the floor, how many are in the bag. We count the incoming mail ballots that get processed on um
election day. Um, and at the end of the day, I can tell you where all the ballots are, um, what's used and unused and and that just, again, I like to explain to people there's a there's a whole bunch of people working that process. >> Please do not be afraid to go vote. Your
vote counts. >> What's our mantra? Never turn a voter away, >> right? Even even if there's a question about it, we can always provision a >> a ballot, right? And everybody should have that voice. And I got to tell you, it come sometimes we've had elections come down to one or two votes. So get
out to vote. Don't just say, "Oh, they're going to always win." Or or those types of things. >> Especially local elections are like that. >> Yes. >> I think a a general um percentage for local elections is like 10 to 12%.
>> Oh gosh. Yeah. Something some it's I want to say it's between 13 and 16%, Trish knows it off the top of her head. I think it's less. >> So we al also Trish puts that on the website if anybody's interested. You can
see the trends of um previous years, what the voter turnout has been from election to election each year. So that's interesting to look at. But if you look at the comparison between um the turnout in the state elections and then the turnout in the local elections,
we just um wish that more voters would come out and vote in the local election. that that because those directly impact you because you get to decide who's running in your town um and you get to have your voice heard in town decisions.
So local similar to state and federal elections, your local elections are going to impact you, >> right? >> So Oh, sorry. >> Oh, no. I was going to say, so Maria's absolutely right. You know, sometimes I feel like we cast our vote and it doesn't, you know, we don't necessarily
get what we want from the state or the federal elections, but when you vote local, >> you see the impacts. Yes. >> Almost immediately. And by the way, >> the people you're voting for are your neighbors. Yes. >> So, we're all in this same boat. Yes. >> Together. Um I think a lot of this, especially in today, unfortunately, we
we've all dealt with it as election workers or or running the elections. Um there's a lot of distrust and and kind of misinformation. Again, I've done it firsthand. I can tell you the process works. It's safe and secure. Um but th
this process is entirely transparent. You can come down and observe on election day. You can come down while we're sorting and doing ballots at the end of the night. Um so if there's any concern, there's a lot of people in the room. And I got to tell you, when I sign my name at the tape at the end of the day and I sign that book and we seal
everything up, I'm 100% confident that everybody that came through my precinct um has had their vote counted and it was accurately counted. So I I I it really is the local part of this is really important um to get out. I would say sometimes more than than the other
elections. Not that I'm biased. >> And it's rewarding too. Um to piggy back off of what you were just saying and what you had mentioned earlier, there's a extremely rewarding feeling to being able to participate in our democracy in that way. >> So
>> it is that's well said. Sorry. I always tell people um when they they're coming to interview me for different reasons, some kids or new employees or whatever, I I I tell them one of my very favorite parts of my job as a department head and
working for the town is that when I see the landscape of different unmet needs and you know issues or problems >> uh that that I can see I have some control over being able to make a
in making that different >> and um not always but a lot of times and that's my very favorite part of >> being in my job because I really do feel like we can make a difference and um you know so and people on both sides of the
aisle, all sides of the aisles um at this point um are you know feel discouraged and or or angry or or distressful. And I think the more you get yourself involved in it, then the the more you can trust that and know
that there are so many good people from from all sides. >> Yes. And you had asked >> to make that happen. >> Before we got here, what the favorite part of my job was and it's that um so the rewarding feeling and that like this
field truly fills my cup in that way that even if it's just for one person that you're helping me make their day a little bit easier. Um, and that is why we're so um adamant about if you have um concerns about anything, whether it's
the voting process or anything um concerns or just genuine questions that you want to understand because you hear all of this other stuff from whoever, call your local elections office. We're going to tell you what the laws and regulations are in Massachusetts
for everyone. >> We are more than happy to to go over that with you. are very passionate about our work and so that's why it's hard for me to stick to my points in a short amount of time because we could truly talk about this all day long and we are very open to communication and invite
you to both call us and or visit us >> or be part of the process >> or be part of the process. So, what are some of the other jobs that people volunteer for, not just in the in the elections, but like um when you're with the volunt with the um select board, uh
some ways that people can be more involved. >> There there's a there's a absolute uh tremendous amount of positions. There's a lot of vacancies right now. Um so, uh I always say if you can go volunteer at the library or the school, those are always rewarding, right? reach out and
go to that program >> or the senior center. I'm always here for the plug >> or Yeah. And again, as you've constantly reminded me, if you're not old enough to go to the senior center, you're young enough to volunteer. And that's right. >> I remind people of that all the time. >> So, you know, there's the the age
friendly u implementation committee still has a vacancy. Again, this is uh probably like a week and a half old, so some of these could be wrong. Um, which in that case, you get to meet with Deb and I because that's one of my liaison assignments. Um there's and then there's a bunch of other positions open. The
bicycle and pedestrian committee, the uh CCA and the town hall advisory, um clean energy, um commission on disabilities, conservation commission now has an an open term and and that's one if if that's a passion of yours. Um between the conservation commission and the
planning board, those are two like really very active boards. So when the conservation commission has something open, if it's a passion that you have or an interest that you have, it's definitely worth um I would say applying to. Um there's the Council on Aging Board, which again Deb and I both
participate. Um and cultural council, the uh DEI committee is always looking for somebody and and Jeff Hardy, my fellow uh select board member, wouldn't be uh calling me if I did not remind everybody that everybody is welcome on the parade committee. And this year is
the 250th anniversary and they're they're in full action. But I mean, let's be honest, I used to go away every Fourth of July. Um, and and when my kids got older and started doing the marching band and having to participate in the Fourth of July parade, it's it's kind of one of
those things you have to be at. It's what CHS for it's one of the things that that makes Chelms for great um over the summer. So, those are those are are just kind of a few of the committee assignments. And and the other thing and and I know Maria will appreciate this is you know we have some precincts where we
can feel the slate of town meeting reps and have a competitive race and then there are other precincts where there's open seats. >> That is your voice in your town and and you know when I first became a town meeting rep I used to get a lot of calls from local people just to make sure they knew that I knew they were there and
they had something they wanted to ask about. Um we are a representative town government. So the town meeting body is the is the uh is the legislative body. Um so again town meetings four nights a year maybe five occasional special
election and all you have to do is pay attention to what's going on in town and tele media makes that really easy for us to do. The the town clerk's office and the and the town manager's office are are working town hall to make sure all that stuff's available as well. So um
that's one way to really get involved. But again, I'm going to go to where my passion is most certainly and and I can't wait to get back at it is um it's been tough in the last few years for you to get some election workers. First of all, you don't have to do the whole day like me. Um you can do a half a day.
There's some jobs where all you have to do is sit there and make sure that people are putting the the ballot in the scanner correctly or, you know, opening envelopes so that we can get a ballot out to process a ballot. Um these people of all ages and all abilities can do it. And um and and I love when some of Deb's
friends from the senior center join us. I get so many stories. It's so enriching to hear the background of some of these folks. And I know you know some of them too. Um so I think as as we go forward, especially in this year, um reach out to
to Maria's office and see what you can do to volunteer um and help process our elections. Be a part of that um be a part of that process. >> Absolutely. I love it. Can I ask you um where did where did you get the idea uh
to to run for select board? >> So I'm uh I moved to town as most as many know um Alicia and my wife's been at center school now for 25ish years uh as a teacher. Um we lived in New Hampshire at the time. We had the
opportunity to put the kids in school here. So Chumsford's been our community since the kids were little and they went to school here. Um and at some point we said we really have to move to Chumsburg because paying for tuition is a lot of money. Um well worth it by the way. Um
uh so we moved here in um in 2018 and I said you know I I don't want to be a towny type of person but I definitely want to be a little bit involved and I got involved in the recycling committee. Um and then and then you understand how things work and you start to meet people
and like oh hey you should join this committee. you should join this committee or then they start a new committee for something and you're like oh I'm really interested in that. Um so you know the the first year I ran for uh select board this goes back to my passion about elections I feel our races
for select board school committee um planning board all of those I I don't like to see races that aren't competitive. >> Yeah. And I felt like if I at least ran again, you know, Pat Maloney and George Dixon were there was no way I was going to win that. But the opportunity to
campaign and participate >> unfortunately give up my election volunteer job. um was what I wanted and in that year we had debates and we had discussions and we had to take positions and I just think that's really important and televia makes it so easy um for you
to be able to if you can't be at one of these things to be able to go back and watch it so that when you do go cast your vote um you could do that or if you get your mailin ballot >> yes >> it does not have to be hard you don't have to take a day off to vote you can do your mail and ballot um and and so
then the next year uh when the seat opened up again I was able to to uh to run. And again, it's >> Yeah. And you didn't give up. You tried again. >> I wasn't I I it was such a humbling experience to get to meet people um uh and hear what they have to say or I did
a bunch of coffees where people just showed up and we had coffee together a couple mornings. Um absolutely um worth the process. It is a little bit more to run for a townwide election than to, you know, go through your local local neighborhood, but uh definitely important. And and I just I want to say
one other thing about the volunteering because I know we're short on time, Deb, but but when you volunteer for this, it's not just volunteering. You're part of ensuring the integrity of the process, right, of of the election process that people um seem to be worried about today. Um you're being
entrusted with um you know, the the democracy, right? The actual democracy that we live. Um you're part of being that democracy in action. So, I I really do encourage people, please call Maria, inundate her with phone calls and emails and say, "I want to volunteer." Um, it
it once you're it's a community that once you're part of that community. Um, you'll always be a part of it. I don't know people. I'm a select board member. I tell people I was an election worker. Um, because that's that's how important I think >> and that's a state law that prevents him from doing that. You would have kept
that. And may I add about if if you are um interested in being an election worker or you're again just genuinely curious about the process of being an election worker um our town clerk actually has our election worker trainings posted on our website and as well as the application. So if you are
interested in being an election worker we have an outstanding team of election workers and um I would like to say that as well that we no municipality would be able to have elections without their election workers. Um, so we are lucky to have an outstanding team of them in
Chelmsford, but we are always encouraging um and accepting applications. So if you're interested, please apply and um feel free to take our trainings. >> Absolutely. Wonderful. So I'm going to plug a little bit too because um the
senior tax worker program is run out of the senior center. It's for anybody who's a a property tax worker. >> I mean, sorry, sorry. uh a property tax payer >> um who's 60 and up and living in
Chelmsford and um you can get up to $1,500 off of your taxes for working for a department, you know, one of the departments. So, you apply for it through the senior center and um the applications are starting to be taking
taken uh starting April 1st. Okay? >> So, we don't take any until April 1st. So everybody has ready, set, go. You know, everybody has the same chance and the first 150 people who are appropriate for the jobs available and meet all the requirements um can have those
positions. And there's a question and answer coffee that I'm running Friday, March 20th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. You can come and have coffee with me and um and ask any questions you want. But um also the senior center the my door is
open and the phone number is 978-251533. So any questions uh welcome or you can send an email. But uh we're always trying to get people money off their taxes for doing those those volunteer um jobs as well. So uh thank you so much. It was wonderful to have you. Keep up
the great work both of you. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. >> Thanks everybody. and go out and vote.