Northampton will hold special city election

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) - The Northampton City Council has voted to hold a special city election November 6th, the same day as the general election. 

The vote comes days after Secretary of State William Galvin announced Mayor David Narkewicz missed the state's deadline to include municipal questions on the ballot.  Now, the city has to hold two elections on the same day, and voters are calling it an expensive mistake.

“Silliness,” said Northampton voter Rich Kueny of the miscommunication.  Kueny says he does plan to vote and is happy the city is holding the election on the same day.  “Once you are there, you are there, another couple of steps, no big deal. If it were two separate days, that would discourage voters,” he said. 

One ballot will help elect the next president, state officials and federal congressmen and women; the other will outline a proposed charter change to increase the mayor's term from two to four years.

But printing an extra set of ballots isn't the city's only extra expense.  The city clerk says they will also need an extra set of hands as voters will need to check in twice, once they arrive at the polling station. 

“It means double the amount of work for my office, as well as double the amount of work for my poll workers. Everything has to be separated at the polls as far as at the end of the night for ballots,” said Wendy Mazza, Northampton’s city clerk.

There are 14 voting precincts in Northampton.  Mazza told 22News 14 inspectors are hired for each precinct. Inspectors are paid $55 per day and payroll for a general election ranges, between $10,000 to $12,000. But this year, the payroll will be higher as the city will need to hire an added eight inspectors per precinct.

“I don't think its right at all, a lot more things need fixing here than to make this mistake,” said Shirley Graham on Main Street Friday afternoon.

Mayor Narkewicz says the state never notified Northampton of the deadline. He recently sent a letter to Secretary Galvin asking him to prove that his office notified the city solicitor or the city clerk back in May.