The 6 Steps To Vote For Amanda!

1. Be a registered voter! Not sure if you are? You can check with the Secretary’s website by clicking here!
   Tips: Because of my work with Representative Rogers and Senator Rush, we have automatic voter registration. That means if you’ve interacted with certain State agencies, you may already be registered to vote! Also, never presume that your records are up to date. Our Clerks do a great job, but life happens, so always verify that your status is still active (the last day to make any updates or changes ahead of the election is Friday 3/28/2025 in order to qualify for the April 7th election). You can verify if you’re registered on the Secretary’s website by clicking here!

2. Find your polling location!

   • Don’t know where your polling place is? The Secretary’s website can tell you that too. Click here! Find the location on a map ahead of time so you know how to get there.

3. OR Request an Absentee ballot! You can print the form (or request one from the Town Clerk’s office to be mailed to you if you don’t have access to a printer). NOTE: Be sure to send your request ahead of time to give the Clerks enough time to process your request!

   For Absentee voting, fill out the form to apply for your absentee ballot and send it back to the Clerk’s office by one of the following methods:

   • Email (mfolan@norwoodma.gov) - Note: you must scan a copy of the completed absentee request form document and attach it to your email; simply typing a message to the Clerk is not sufficient to apply.

   • Fax (781-278-3018)

   • Mail (Town clerk's Office P.O. Box 40 Norwood, MA 02062)

   • You can also go directly to the Town Hall in person to obtain and cast your absentee ballot.

   • Reminder: Submitting the application form is not your actual ballot, it is just the request to get your absentee ballot!

4. Save the date, set a reminder! The Annual Town Election will be held on Monday, April 7th, 2025!

   Note: the polls are open between 7am to 7pm. If you won’t be in town to vote, you should request an absentee ballot so you won’t miss out just because you weren’t in town that day! You might want to just vote absentee anyway to ensure that you won’t get stuck sick on election day not having gotten to vote!!

   I like to set a reminder for myself the night before any deadlines so that I don’t forget. Studies say that if you think of the steps you’ll take to go and do your voting, you’re more likely to do it!

5. If you’re voting in person: Check in with the poll workers, get your ballot, and let the voting begin!

6. Now it’s time to vote for Amanda! Find my name on the ballot and fully fill in the oval beside my name to vote for me. If you’re voting in person, don’t forget to check out with the poll workers before you cast your ballot into the box! (so many people forget this step).

Some frequently asked questions…

What’s a “Selectman”?

Short version: think of us like a Board of Directors, except for your Town instead of for a Company. We’re the Executive arm of town government, and we provide oversight for many important functions.

How long do you serve?

Selectmen serve for 3 year terms. It’s a voluntary unpaid part time role that provides oversight and approvals. We meet formally as a Board several times during the month, serve in the Town Meeting, but also attend many other meetings and Town functions. Norwood’s a busy place, there’s lots to do and to know about!

Why are you running again?

For the best reason of all: by the popular demand of Norwood residents! You can get to know more over on my Qualifications page, my campaign blog, and my election FAQ page. There is a LOT going on in the town, and many decisions will be made that will impact Norwood residents for years - if not generations - to come. Above all else, I hope that my campaigning continues to inspire Norwood residents to get involved in our community, to run and apply for Town offices, and to think about ways we each can directly contribute to Norwood’s bright future.

What’s your political party?

None. I am not enrolled with a party. I’ll work with anyone who seeks the public good. I do serve as a steering committee member for the Norwood LWV, but have recused myself from any Candidate’s Night planning, Voter Service Committee meetings, Board votes involving the Election, or LWV social/web duties related to it. The only LWV function I serve during the election is duties that don’t create conflicts of interest for the election. The bylaws of the LWV state that only certain roles are restricted from running for and holding a major public office. So any LWV member or Steering Committee member may run for a major role in town government. I otherwise pay no dues, attend no steering meetings, nor staff any events with any other political or civic groups in town that aren’t sponsored by the town itself, though I frequently attend public community events and accept invitations to speak or volunteer by local groups or unions (for example: this year I’m a Dancing With The Norwood Stars contestant).

What’s something long term that you’d focus on as a Selectman?

I continue to be passionate about the role of the The Board of Selectmen as Town Light Commissioners. Our Town owns and operates an Electric and Internet Utility Company. I cannot stress enough how much of a nerd I am about that (seriously, read my blog posts). The world is in the throes of big technological shifts, and that makes it more critical than ever for at least one member of our Board of Selectmen to be constantly staying on top of what that means for our Town in terms of opportunities and risks for revenue, infrastructure, and resident safety. Someone needs to keep up to date with the nuances of Large Language Models (and their limitations), of good (and bad) ways to utilize SaaS vendors to improve resident services, of evolving opportunities for the public sector in decentralized tech markets, etc. These are areas that seem complex and distant, but they can impact us right here on the local level. And I will continue to be a Selectman who takes these matters seriously, and who is undaunted by diving into the technical details of them to try and make the best decisions for Norwood.