Town clerk seeks additional poll pads and security coverage as election costs shift

Town Clerk Tracey Boucher told the Board that the town will have three elections this year but only one in the 2027 calendar used for budgeting, and she plans to purchase two additional poll pads to bring the total to five. Boucher added a new Security Coverage Wages line to fund police presence at elections and estimated coverage at roughly $100 per hour. She also flagged a $650 programming cost per election for the handicap voting machine that must be available by law.

Boucher said she based her budget on prior years' Town Clerk budgets and largely kept many lines unchanged; she asked the Board for guidance on calculating pay increases for her staff and encouraged her deputy to attend statewide training. Selectman Patrick Moran asked about climate control at CYAA facilities; Boucher said the venue has technical climate control but ineffective air conditioning.