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The members of the Arlington Democratic Town Committee, at their October meeting, passed a resolution urging our State Representatives to support S. 459 and H.805 – An Act fostering voter opportunities, trust, equity, and security (the “VOTES Act”) sponsored by Senator Cynthia Stone Creem and Representative John Lawn. The Senate has already passed its version of the bill. See https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H805/.

Both Arlington Representatives, Sean Garballey and David Rogers, are co-sponsors of the House bill. ADTC members hope they will fight hard for all its provisions, including no-excuse mail voting, in-person early voting, and voting rights for incarcerated persons, and hope that the House bill will include same-day registration, which twenty other states now have. These provisions align with the Democratic Party platform passed by the State Convention in September.

Democrats in Arlington held a virtual caucus June 30 to elect delegates to the 2021 Massachusetts Democratic Convention.

Elected as delegates were Jane Arsham, Adam Badik, Robin Bergman, Elinore Charlton, Aimee Coolidge, Colby Cunningham, Joseph Curro, Silvia Dominguez, Peter Gast, Camilla Haase, Jennifer Litowski, Linda Magram, Hannah Markelz, Christine O’Connell, June Rowe, Paul Schlichtman, Amy Slutzky, David Swanson, Noah Sweder, Michael Watson, and Edward Witham.

Co-Chair Stephanie Swanson will serve as an ex officio delegate. Other Arlingtonians serving as ex officio delegates are James DiTullio and Marlene Silva, who serve on the Democratic State Committee, as well as State Representative Sean Garballey and State Senator Cindy Friedman.

The Convention will be held on Saturday, September 25, 2021, at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. Democrats from across the state will come together to adopt a party platform. For information on the Convention, please contact the Massachusetts Democratic Party at 617-939-0800 or go to https://massdems.org/.

Arlington Democrats are invited to attend a virtual caucus on Wednesday, June 30, at 7 p.m. to elect 37 delegates and 6 alternates to the 2021 Massachusetts Democratic Convention.

At this year’s state convention, to be held Saturday, September 25 at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, thousands of Democrats from across the state will come together to adopt a party platform.

The caucus is open to all registered and pre-registered Democrats in Arlington. Pre-registered Democrats who will be 16 by June 15, 2021, will be welcome to participate and run as a delegate or alternate.

To participate in the virtual caucus, please use this Zoom registration form. You will receive a personalized link and passcode to the Zoom caucus in an email, which you’ll need to keep.

Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals who are not elected as a delegate or alternate may apply to be an add-on delegate at the caucus or at www.massdems.org.

Delegates and alternates will be divided equally between men and women, except that candidates whose gender identity is non-binary can run for delegate without needing to classify themselves as male or female. Candidates must be present at the caucus to be elected (except those serving in the Armed Forces, who must notify the chair of their candidacy before the caucus).

For more information on the caucus or the Arlington Democratic Town Committee, please contact Co-Chair Stephanie Swanson at 716-435-4153 or Co-Chair Aimee Coolidge at 781-775-5343. For general information on the Convention or the Democratic Party, please call 617-939-0800 or email contact@massdems.org. Details on the caucus rules can be found at https://massdems.org/.

The Arlington Democratic Town Committee is appalled at the leadership role President Trump played in the violent attack on the Capitol and Congress on January 6. We strongly condemn President Donald Trump for inciting his supporters to “fight like hell” in support of the lie that the November election results were invalid.

Equally we condemn the 139 Republican Congresspersons and 8 Republican Senators who supported this lie and voted to invalidate the election results from two states. We condemn the actions of these individuals, which have resulted in lives lost and threaten our democratic institutions.

We condemn the racist assumption behind this lie and these actions: that votes from majority-Black and majority-Latinx cities such as Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Phoenix should not be counted.

We are thankful for the safety of our Representative Katherine Clark and our Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren and support their efforts to impeach and convict President Trump for his egregious attack on the democratic process. Truth and justice are the only road to healing.

Register by Saturday, October 24

Vote absentee, by mail or drop box

OR Vote early in person Oct. 17-31

OR Vote on Election Day, November 3

Details here:

Here’s a running list of Black-owned businesses to support in Greater
Boston:

https://www.boston.com/culture/business/2020/06/08/black-owned-businesses-to-support-in-greater-boston

A list of 50+ Black-owned Boston restaurants to support:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/01/lifestyle/support-bostons-black-owned-restaurants/

18 Black-Owned Restaurants in Boston Open for Takeout or Delivery:

https://www.bostonmagazine.com/restaurants/black-owned-restaurants-boston/

How to Support Boston’s Black-Owned Restaurants (with a crowdsourced
spreadsheet with details on over 150 Boston-area black-owned restaurants,
as well as other resources):

https://boston.eater.com/2020/6/8/21284086/boston-black-owned-restaurants-support-resources

List of Black-owned companies in the Boston area:

https://blackboston.com/list-of-black-owned-companies-in-the-boston-area-who-requested-referrals-from-aboutblackboston-online-buyblack/

The Arlington Democratic Town Committee strongly condemns all racist acts of police violence and extends our deepest condolences to the families and friends of George Floyd and the other victims of racially-based police violence. We condemn racist acts of oppression in all forms, including institutionalized racism and the violence of denial inherent to an unjust society. This oppression has targeted the Black American community, in particular, for far too long.

We are committed to justice and to the representation of our entire community. We are committed to working with our members and our partners in the broader community to make a better world. However, despite our good intentions, we know that we need to do better and strive to do so.

We also wish to refer you to a local community event where you can join us in taking a stand:

• Stand in Solidarity with George Floyd is a nightly demonstration along Mass Ave from 6-7 pm

All registered voters in Arlington should by now (5/21) have received a postcard to request a mail-in ballot for the June 6 Town Election. Normally you have to provide an excuse, but that requirement has been waived until June 30 by a new state law.

Fill in the postcard, be sure to sign it, and then return it to the Clerk’s office promptly. You’ll be sent an absentee ballot, which you can mail in or place in any of several secure drop boxes around town. The absentee ballot must be received by 8 p.m. June 6.

The deadline for returning the postcard is legally required to be June 5, but of course that only really applies when you can vote in person at the Town Clerk’s office. Send it in as soon as you can to make sure that you’ll have time to receive the ballot, complete it, and return it.

Voters must be registered by May 27 in order to vote in this election.

Watch this space for further updates on voting procedures.

In the Presidential primary March 3, Democratis in Arlington elected a new Town Committee. Its members are Adam Badik, Laurene Bergin, Robin Bergman, Lynn Bishop, Shane Blundell, Maureen Crewe, Mary Cummings, James DiTullio, Catherine Farrell, John Galligan, William Gardiner, Sharon Grossman, Patrick Hanlon, Christa Kelleher, Sonya Khan, Colleen Kirby, Adele Kraus, David Levy, Jennifer Litowski, William Logan, Adam MacNeill, Linda Magram, Richard McElroy, Pearl Morrison, Lisa Pedulla, Carroll Edward Schwartz, Paulette Schwartz, Marlene Silva, Hannah Simon, David Swanson, Stephanie Swanson, Rieko Tanaka, Alice Trexler, Michael Watson, Jordan Weinstein.

State Senator Cindy Friedman and State Representative Sean Garballey will serve as ex officio members. The following have become 20-year members, so they were not on the ballot: Aimee Coolidge, Camilla Haase, Gwenyth Hooper, and Paul Schlichtman.

About 240 Democrats filled Town Hall Auditorium on the morning of Saturday, February 29 to elect delegates to the Democratic State Convention. Many were newcomers to local Democratic politics, and 28 voters changed their registration to Democratic to participate in the caucus. Aimee Coolidge, chair of the Arlington Democratic Town Committee, welcomed all the newcomers and encouraged them to continue participating.

Among the attendees were an enthusiastic group of Arlington High School students and alumni. Those who were 16 or 17 and were pre-registered voted along with everyone else and were eligible to run for delegate.

Supporters of incumbent Senator Edward Markey prevailed over supporters of Congressman Joseph Kennedy, electing all 37 delegates and 6 alternates to the Convention. Delegates elected were Adam Badik, Kristen Bauer, Robin Bergman, Peter Braun, Michael J. Brown, Downing Cless, Sonya Coleman, Maureen Crewe, Joseph Curro, Susan Doctrow, Catherine Farrell, William Gardiner, Pauline Gardiner, Amy Goldstein, Barbara Goodman, Camilla Haase, Tung Huynh, Lori Kenschaft, Colleen Kirby, Ann LeRoyer, Alan Linov, William Logan, Adam MacNeill, Richard McElroy, John Page, Judson Pierce, Jennifer Roderick, Joel Rothstein, Paul Schlichtman, Carroll Edward Schwartz, Paulette Schwartz, Susan Stamps, Rieko Tanaka, Robert Tosi Jr., Alice Trexler, Steven Wofsy, and Mona Zeftel. Alternates elected were Edith Barrett, John Burt, Lynette Culverhouse, Gary Goldsmith, Catherine Pedersen, and Edward Witham.

Additional delegates will serve because of the offices they hold: State Senator Cindy Friedman and State Representatives Sean Garballey and Dave Rogers, Arlington Democratic Town Committee Chair Aimee Coolidge, and State Committee members James DiTullio and Marlene Silva.

Eligible to apply to be add-on delegates are members of groups in the following categories: youth aged 16-34 (including our AHS caucus attendees), minorities, disabled, and LGBTQ+.

At the Convention, to be held in the Tsongas Center in Lowell on Saturday, May 30, the winner of the majority of delegates will receive the state Democratic Party’s endorsement. Any candidate who receives over 15% of the vote will appear on the ballot for the state Primary Election, to be held on Tuesday, September 1.

Senator Markey’s long service as Arlington’s Congressman probably helped his supporters outnumber those for Congressman Kennedy. Both Senator Markey and our current Congresswoman, Katherine Clark, came to greet caucus attendees while they were standing in line to check in. Also present were Arlington’s State House delegation, Sen. Friedman and Reps. Garballey and Rogers. Governor’s Councilor Marilyn Petitto Devaney was also there.

For more information on the Arlington Democratic Town Committee or any of our meetings, please contact Ms. Coolidge at 781-646-5339, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/adtcma. For general information on the Convention, please contact the Democratic State Committee at 617-939-0800 or visit massdems.org.