Recall Process
The recall process is very complex and requires a lot of support from the community in order to move forward. Below is a short outline of the process in accordance with Article 8 of the Marshfield Town Charter.
Affidavit (Step 1)
The first step in the recall election process is the affidavit. In order to recall an elected official in Massachusetts, constituents must first submit an affidavit that lists the person's name and office with the reason for recalling the individual. The affidavit needs to be submitted to the town clerk, reviewed, and approved. Once the affidavit is approved (Thursday, October 2), it must be returned to the town clerk's office with 100 signatures of registered voters within 14 days. (Thursday, October 16)
Petition (Step 2)
Step 2 is collecting signature on petitions to recall Eric Kelley. Once the affidavit process is complete, the town clerk will issue petitions for a recall election. The working group will need to collect 3,306 signatures within 21 days. One of the requirements of a recall election is that each of the precincts get 15% of the total voters in the precincts. To reach the goal of collecting the signatures and making sure they're properly distributed across each precinct, the working group will form two voter outreach efforts.
Declare for office(Step 3)
Once the petition to recall Eric Keley has been certified, Marshfield will schedule an election for the open seat. Anyone that is interested in running for the select board must pull papers at the town clerk's office and collect the required signatures to appear on the ballot.
Election (Step 4)
The recall election will have two questions on the ballot. The first question is if you would like to recall Eric Kelley. The second question on the ballot is, who would you like to be on the select board? All eligible candidates for the open office will be listed on the ballot.