Besides all the excitement of this year’s delayed town election with primarily mail-in ballots, and the many competitive races, the town is now doing a recount of several races. Some candidates were elected by very slim margins - fewer than 100 votes difference of thousands of ballots in the preliminary count. Several candidates have requested recounts of their races, which the town clerk will be performing in the next few days.
Looking at the election results got me to thinking about campaign finances. Yes, there are campaign finance reports, even for town offices in MA! Every major position candidate (but not Town Meeting members) in Arlington files a basic report of expenditures and receipts by the 8th day preceeding the election, and the town clerk posts them on the elections website. The average receipts for candidate’s campaigns this year was over $5,000, with one candidate fundraising more than $10,000!
With several newcomers being elected to major town boards, do you think that differences in campaign spending had a material impact on the race, or the immense numbers of letters to the editor? Or are any comparisons with past year’s elections just plain silly due to COVID-19 restrictions and all the discussion about ballot request postcards?
Town Election Finances - 2020
| Position | Candidate | Status | Previous Balance | Receipts | Expenses | Ending Balance | In-kind Contributions | Liabilities Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessor | Mary Winstanley O'Connor | incumbent, elected | $0.00 | $3,540.03 | $3,540.03 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Housing Authority | Jo Anne Preston | elected | $0.00 | $5,464.00 | $4,831.55 | $632.45 | $100.00 | $0.00 |
| Housing Authority | Joseph S. Daly | incumbent | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| School Committee | Bill Hayner | incumbent, elected | $612.00 | $3,239.00 | $2,607.17 | $1,243.83 | $0.00 | $4,070.80 |
| School Committee | Elisabeth R. Exton | elected | $0.00 | $4,504.00 | $3,774.53 | $729.47 | $945.00 | $271.71 |
| School Committee | Lynette Martyn | $0.00 | $11,439.00 | $7,943.00 | $3,496.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| School Committee | Paul Schlichtman | incumbent, elected | $165.74 | $6,615.00 | $6,393.67 | $387.07 | $0.00 | $6,430.00 |
| Select Board | Diane Mahon | incumbent, elected | $2,622.58 | $4,635.00 | $2,620.65 | $4,637.39 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Select Board | Lenard Diggins | elected | $0.00 | $7,336.00 | $5,138.27 | $2,197.73 | $497.08 | $2,734.37 |
| Select Board | Michaiah Healy | $0.00 | $7,225.00 | $5,930.83 | $1,294.17 | $100.00 | $489.35 | |
| Town Clerk | Janice A. Weber | incumbent | $0.00 | $8,559.91 | $5,741.31 | $2,776.60 | $50.00 | $500.00 |
| Town Clerk | Juliana H. Brazile | elected | $0.00 | $8,159.00 | $7,226.65 | $932.35 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Town Clerk | Patti J. Sawtelle | $0.00 | $5,866.91 | $4,977.91 | $889.00 | $880.85 | $2,966.91 |
All data is manually transcribed from the Town Clerk’s posted Campaign Finance Reports, and a spreadsheet of this data is available. Factual corrections appreciated.
Massachusetts Campaign Laws
For those interested in learning more about elections and recounts, see:
- MA election law updates in response to COVID-19 - allows anyone “… staying in your home or avoiding your polling place as a precautionary measure in response to COVID-19” to request an absentee ballot for any race(s).
- Town election page
- MA Secretary of State page - with many guides on ballots, where to vote, citizen petitions, and more.
- MA campaign finance laws
- Overview of recount laws in MA
- MA detailed guide to how recounts are performed