Town of Dedham
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2023-2026 Dedham Town Officials
Town Officials 2023-2026 (PDF)
Town Meeting Representatives 2023-2026 (PDF)
ELECTION CALENDAR April 12 2025
TOWN ELECTION (Polls open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2025
TOWN MEETING (7:00 p.m. at High School) MONDAY, MAY 19, 2025
FALL TOWN MEETING (7:00p.m. at High School) MONDAY, NOVEMBER TBA, 2025
INCUMBENT TOWN REPRESENTATIVES – written notice to become candidates for re-election must be in by Friday 5:00pm, February 14, 2024 (Chapter 53, Section 10)
Nomination papers may be picked up at the Town Clerk’s office only by a candidate or a person who has written authorization from the candidate. This applies to Town Representatives as well as major office candidates. (Chapter 53, Section 17 G.L.) Papers will be available on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
SIGNATURES REQUIRED
Major Office 50 registered voters throughout the Town
Town Representatives 10 registered voters from your precinct
IMPORTANT DATES
Tuesday, February 18, 2025, Last day to pick up nomination papers 5:00pm
Friday, February 21, 2025, Last day for submitting nomination papers to Registrars for certification of signatures by 5:00PM
Monday, March 10, 2025, Last day to withdraw nomination papers or object 5pm
Drawing for Ballot Position 6pm
Wednesday, April 2, 2025, Last day to register to vote for the Town of Dedham
Election (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 pm.)
Monday, April 7, 2025, The deadline to receive an application for mail-in ballot
VOTER REGISTRATION TAKES PLACE DAILY AT THE TOWN CLERK’S OFFICE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 8:30 A.M. TO 4:30 P.M. WEDNESDAY EVENINGS UNTIL 7:00 P.M.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS – Campaign Finance Reports for major office seekers must be filed on/or before Friday, April 4, 2024 with activity from 1/1/2025- 3/25/2025, and a final report on/or before Monday May 12, 2025 with activity from 3/26/2025- 5/12/2025.
Special Elections
In instances where an elected official resigns, dies, or is removed from office prior to the expiration of their term, at any level of government, there may be a special election to elect someone to finish the remainder of the term. A special election may run concurrent with a regular election for other offices (or even the same office) if the timing is right. The laws on special elections depend on the office, and are outlined in
M.G.L. c. 54, §140 through 147.
Annual Town Elections
Town elections are held annually on the second Saturday of April. Elected Town offices are staggered for balance and there are several boards and committees elected. All Town offices are non-partisan, meaning no political party affiliation is listed on the ballot and no primary elections are held. All Town offices are elected at-large, with the exception of Town Meeting members, who are elected by voting precinct. Winners of Town elections must be sworn-in by the Town Clerk, but assume office as of their election. The following offices are voted on during Annual Town Elections:
| OFFICE | Number of Seats | Term (YEARS) |
|---|---|---|
| Board of Selectmen |
5 | 3 |
| Board of Assessors | 3 | 3 |
| Board of Health | 3 | 3 |
| Board of Library Trustees | 5 | 3 |
| Commissioners of Trust Funds | 5 | 3 |
| Housing Authority | 5 | 5 |
| Parks & Recreation Commission | 5 | 3 |
| Planning Board | 5 | 5 |
| School Committee | 7 | 3 |
| Town Clerk | 1 | 3 |
| Town Meeting Member | 273 | 1-3 |
| Town Moderator | 1 | 3 |
State Elections
Elections for all other offices are regularly scheduled for the first Tuesday in November every even-numbered year. These are State Elections because the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is responsible for conducting the election and recording the results. The offices listed on these ballots are partisan, displaying a candidate's political party affiliation next to or below their name. The only exceptions to this are the seats on the Regional Vocational School Committee.
Partisan elections require primary elections, where candidates for office are featured on separate ballots based on party to determine their party's nominee for the general election. The State Primary is typically the first or second Tuesday of September every even-numbered year, while the Presidential Primary is typically on the first Tuesday in March ("Super Tuesday") every four years. The winners in State Elections take office in January of the year following their election. The following is a list of offices feature on State Election ballots:
| OFFICE | LEVEL | Constituency | Term (YEARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| President / Vice President | Federal | United States | 4 |
| U.S. Senator | Federal | Massachusetts | 6 |
| U.S. Congressman | Federal | Massachusetts 8th District | 2 |
| Governor / Lieutenant Governor | State | Massachusetts | 4 |
| Secretary of the Commonwealth | State | Massachusetts | 4 |
| Attorney General | State | Massachusetts | 4 |
| Treasurer and Receiver-General | State | Massachusetts | 4 |
| Auditor | State | Massachusetts | 4 |
| Governor's Councillor | State | 2nd District | 2 |
| State Senator | State | Norfolk & Suffolk District | 2 |
| State Representative | State | 11th Norfolk District | 2 |
| County Commissioner | County | Norfolk County | 4 |
| District Attorney | County | Norfolk County | 4 |
| Sheriff | County | Norfolk County | 6 |
| Clerk of Courts | County | Norfolk County | 4 |
| County Treasurer | County | Norfolk County | 6 |
| Register of Deeds | County | Norfolk County | 4 |
| Register of Probate | County | Norfolk County | 4 |
| Regional Vocational School Committee | County | Avon, Braintree, Canton, Dedham, Holbrook, Milton, Norwood, Randolph, Westwood |
4 |
