Town Clerk

Virginia A. Knowlton

Annual Town Election May 16, 2019

Conway’s Annual Town Election will be held on Thursday, 16 May 2019 in the Town Hall.  Polls will be open from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.  Please participate!

Information about Provisional Ballots

At the State Election held on 06 November 2018 in the Town of Conway, at least four residents discovered that they were not on the list of registered votes.  They were offered the option of providing identification, completing a “Provisional Ballot Affirmation” form, and casting a provisional ballot.  Only one person took advantage of the option. If a proof of registration in Conway can be found, the ballot is added to the tally.  If eligibility cannot be confirmed, the ballot will remain sealed in a provisional envelope and will be stored  as part of the election record for as long as it is required to be kept and then will be destroyed without being viewed.

Three of the unregistered individuals said they registered on line and the fourth said that she registered at the Post Office.  Following the election, several Clerks reported that they had similar incidents.  Many potential voters went to sites like Vote.org and TurboVote, “pass-through” sites that don’t actually register voters but link to different websites and/or interface to online voter registration services.  No records are retained there but the voter is given the option to go directly to their state site or pre-populate a national form that must be printed, signed, and then mailed to their local Clerk or Election Commission. Both Vote.org and TurboVote send reminders to anyone using their site about election day including the location of their polling place but this is based solely on the address the applicant provides and does not in any way confirm that they are registered to vote.

We hope this information is helpful for future elections.  Remember, voter registration forms are always available at the town office.  You can stop in whenever the building is open or request that a form be mailed to you.

Please License Your Dog

STATE LAW REQUIRES that dogs be licensed each year.  Licenses are available from the Town Clerk on Tues., Thurs., and Fri. mornings between 9 a.m. and noon.  Owners who find the hours inconvenient may purchase licenses by mail at P.O.Box 240, Conway – please include SASE bearing 70-cents postage.

Make checks payable to the Town of Conway – Males and Spayed Females are $3.00 each; Females are $6.00 each.  The following information must accompany all requests:  Owners name and address, Dog’s name, age, breed color and gender; a current rabies certificate.  Proof of a current rabies vaccination is essential!!!

Please be prompt.  Licenses expire annually on March 31.  After July 1, owners are subject to a $10.00 fine in addition to the regular licensing fee for each unregistered dog in their household.

 Have You Been Sworn?

TO ALL Elected and Appointed Town Officers and Committee Members: State law provides that all elected and appointed persons acting on behalf of the residents of the town appear before the Town Clerk to be sworn to the faithful performance of their duties before taking any action related to the office that they hold.  This includes persons that are re-appointed or re-elected.

Resignations must be made to the Town Clerk before they become effective.

Posting Meetings

ALL BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS must become familiar with the Open Meeting Law. Please be reminded that legally posting a meeting requires providing the town clerk with written notice of the meeting at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting date and time.

You may place your own notice on the town bulletin board providing that it contains the date and time of posting and a copy of the notice with the posting information has been provided to the clerk. The Meeting Notice (posting form) is available for your convenience.

If you need an updated copy of the law, or if you have not signed an acknowledgement indicating that you have read and understand the law, please contact the clerk.

Conflict of Interest

WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS, all Elected and Appointed Town Officers and Committee members as well as town employees are required to complete on-line training provided by the State Ethics Commission and supply the clerk with a copy of their certificate of completion.  The certification expires after two years and the exam must be taken again. Please contact the clerk at 369-4235 ext 4 to confirm whether or not a record of your certification is on file.  Written instruction for taking the test is available in the clerk’s office.