By Bonnie Adams, Government Editor
Westborough – Nancy Yendriga has been Westborough's Town Clerk for nearly two decades so it is safe to say she knows exactly what needs to be done to ensure an election runs smoothly. One of the procedures is to check to make sure the five voting machines (one for each precinct) are in good working order before the actual day of the election.
Next Thursday, Sept. 6 is the State Primary Election so Aug. 29 Yendriga ran the scanners through a test run.
“These machines are wonderful, in spite of going through a lot of abuse and being moved around a lot,” Yendriga said.
Election Day starts very early for Yendriga and the 50 residents who work at the different precincts throughout the day. At 6 a.m. members of the Police Department meet her at Town Hall. The police then take the top parts or as Yendriga calls them, “the brains of the operation” to the different precincts. (The bottom base parts go to the precincts the day before the election.)
Because it is a State Primary, there are ballots for the three major party designations – Republican, Democratic and Green Rainbow.
“We don's expect a large turnout but hope people will come out to vote,” Yendriga said.
She also noted that there are special voting scanners for people with disabilities.
“Plus there are plenty of people available to help you if need assistance,” she added.
Westborough's polling locations are:
Precinct 1: Gibbons Middle School Gym, 20 Fisher Street
Precinct 2: Hastings Elementary School Gym, 111 E. Main Street
Precinct 3: Gibbons Middle School Gym, 20 Fisher Street
Precinct 4: Mill Pond Int. School, 6 Olde Hickory Path
Precinct 5: Mill Pond Int. School, 6 Olde Hickory Path
Residents who are not sure where to vote may call the Town Clerk's office at 508-366-3020. The office is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Tuesday? 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Friday 7:30 a.m. – noon.