Every spring, Acton voters elect several people to help run the Town, the Schools, and the Water District. Town Election Day this year is Tuesday, April 28.
This year, there are three contested races:
- Select Board – two seats with three candidates.
- School Committee – three seats with six candidates.
- Water District Commissioner – one seat with two candidates.
Many of the candidates have (or will have) websites with information, and yard signs have already started showing up on supporters’ lawns. In addition to these three races, there are a number of uncontested races that will also be on the ballot. However, there are no local ballot measures this year.
You can find the sample ballot, which includes a complete list of candidates, on the Town clerk’s Elections & Voting webpage.
Future editions of the Acton Exchange will include information about all the candidates running for election or re-election, and about selected Town Meeting articles. We begin our election coverage in this edition with Questions & Answers with the two candidates in the contested election for Board of Water Commissioners.
Meeting the candidates
Many candidates hold events to meet voters and answer questions. You can often find information about upcoming events on candidates’ websites. In addition, there are two scheduled events held to meet multiple candidates and ask questions:
- Candidate forum with the League of Women Voters – Acton Area. This annual event is a chance to see and hear the candidates for contested races in a moderated forum. The forum is on Wednesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. in Acton Town Hall (Room 204). The forum will also be streamed live on Acton TV.
Use this form to submit questions for candidates.
- Candidate Meet & Greet, sponsored by the Acton Democratic Town Committee. All are welcome to join the Acton Dems to meet several of the candidates on Thursday, April 9 at 5:30 p.m. at Acton TV, 16A Craig Road in Acton. This event will be recorded.
Becoming an Acton voter
As an Acton voter, you register to vote with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Once registered, US citizens over the age of 18 can vote in all Town, State, and National elections. If you (or your child) is currently 17, but will turn 18 before election day, you can register early.
For information about registering to vote, including for new citizens, see Registering to Vote from the Secretary of State’s website.
For local elections, you can either vote by mail, or in person on election day (for state and federal elections, Acton also provides early voting opportunities).
For Acton’s local election and to participate in Town Meeting, you must register to vote by Saturday, April 18 (or Friday, April 17 at noon at the Town Clerk’s office). You can register online, by mailing in a voter registration form, or in person at the Clerk’s office during regular Town Hall Office Hours (8 a.m. – 4 p.m. on weekdays, except 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Tuesdays, and 8 a.m. – noon on Fridays).
To vote by mail, you need to register every year at Voting by Mail. Once you register, you can choose the elections for which you want a mail-in ballot.
According to Town Clerk Leo Mercado, each mail-in ballot costs about $2.00 to process and mail. If you use a mail-in ballot as a “sample” ballot and then vote in person, you are wasting taxpayers’ money and staff time. The ballot is available online before the election.
Important dates for 2026
As an Acton resident, you have two opportunities to have your voice heard. At the Town election on April 28, you can help choose the people you want to represent you for the Town, Schools, and Water District. Then, at the Annual Town Meeting on May 4, you vote for how the town will spend funds for the next year, along with voting on changes to laws and regulations, as presented in the town warrant.
- Annual Town Election (at RJ Grey Junior High Gym) on Tuesday, April 28
- Annual Town Meeting (in the AB Regional High School Auditorium) on Monday, May 4
For more information about Town Meeting, see A Guide to Acton’s Town Meeting, which is somewhat outdated but provides an overview of how Town Meeting works and who is involved (moderator, Select Board, Finance Committee, and so on).
Town Meeting Warrant
The DRAFT 2026 Town Meeting Warrant is now available. Note that the warrant is a draft and there may be errors and gaps. The final Warrant will be available on or about April 14, 2026. If you click on the link and get a License Exception error, that means that you need to come back later (the town has a limited number of licenses for their document storage).
Update: This article was updated on April 6 to include links to the sample ballot, which is now available online.
Miriam Lezak is an Acton Exchange associate editor who occasionally writes articles. She is also a corporate (appointed) trustee for the Acton Library.
