They just need time to prepare for elections
By Bonnie Adams, Managing Editor
Westborough – A Town Clerk’s office can often be one of the busiest departments in municipal government as the staff contends with a myriad of things for residents and businesses. They are also of course responsible for overseeing elections; and in a year unlike no other, 2020, there is even more pressure on the staff.
That is why Town Clerk Wendy Mickel made the decision to suspend the filings of marriage intentions for several weeks around the September primary election (Aug. 17 through Sept. 7) and then the November presidential election (Oct. 9 through Nov. 6).
As is often the case, the decision was met on social media with a confused and negative response, but according to Mickel, that reaction is unwarranted.
“Many, many cities and towns have stopped the filing of marriage intentions when the COVID restrictions hit back in March. I chose to continue in Westborough because I cared that couples could still be married…to allow something happy to happen during COVID,” Mickel said.
“What has happened is the towns that continue to offer the filing of marriage intentions are now picking up the slack for the towns/cities that don’t. Hence, Westborough has filed 10 from Worcester and seven from Boston, alone.”
Not only that, many people from other communities as far away as Rockland and Salem have also come to Westborough, she noted.
“We have been covering for communities that are closed. Now we actually do not have the time to handle the filing of marriage intentions while we prepare for the craziest of election preparations I have ever seen,” she said.
“If people want to get married they have 60 days prior to the wedding to file. I really do not think Westborough suspending marriage intention filings will stop weddings of the future!”
