Lexington’s local election is slated for March 2, 2026. Several positions are open, including seats on the Select Board, Planning Board, School Committee, Lexington Housing Authority, and Town Meeting.
Residents must be registered to vote by 5 p.m. on Feb. 20 to participate in the upcoming election.
Residents who would like to vote by mail must apply to do so by 5 p.m. on Feb. 23.
Voters who wish to vote through an absentee ballot, must apply to do so by 5 p.m. by Feb. 27.
On election day, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Open positions
Two seats on the town’s Select Board are open. One term on the Select Board lasts three years. The Select Board’s job is to make policy and oversee town government operations.
There is one seat open on the School Committee, also for a three-year term. The School Committee establishes educational goals and policies for the schools in the district.
Two seats are open on the Planning Board, also for three-year terms. The Planning Board acts as a regulatory body that ensures changes to land and buildings in Lexington align with the town rules and future plans.
One spot is open on the board of the Lexington Housing Authority (LHA). A term on the Authority lasts five years. LHA provides housing assistance to low income residents through the management of programs such as Low Rent Public Housing and the Housing Choice Voucher Program – Section 8. The board oversees LHA.
The position of Moderator is open, which is a role that lasts one year. The town moderator runs Town Meetings by acting as the impartial presiding officer, explaining articles, managing debate, calls for votes, declares results, and ensures everyone at Town Meeting acts appropriately.
There are also a bunch of seats open on Town Meeting. Town Meeting consists of 189 local precinct representatives — 21 seats per precinct. These operate on a 3-year cycle, so each year 7 seats per precinct are up for re-election. When a Town Meeting member resigns, their seat becomes available for the remainder of the term.
How to run and key dates
To run for local elected office, you must be a US citizen by birth or naturalization, at least 18 years old by the date of the election, a resident of Lexington, and registered to vote in town.
Candidates seeking reelection to Town Meeting must file their intent to do so with the town clerk by 5 p.m. on Jan. 5.
Those seeking candidacy for town-wide office (including Select Board, School Committee, Lexington Housing Authority, and Planning Board) or Town Meeting for the first time must file a written statement with their name, address, and the position for which they’d like to run to the town clerk. Then they must get nomination papers from the town clerk’s office at 1625 Massachusetts Ave. in Lexington by 5 p.m. on Jan. 8. Those papers will include sheets on which first-time candidates must get resident signatures of support.
First-time candidates for town-wide office positions have to get at least fifty certifiable signatures of registered voters in Lexington to run. First-time candidates running for Town Meeting need to get at least ten signatures.
People seeking reelection for Town Meeting do not have to get signatures but can if they want to.
Candidates must sign and submit all nomination papers to the Town Clerk’s office by 5 p.m. on Jan. 12.
Candidates will also receive a finance packet when they pick up their nomination papers. People running for town-wide office positions are required to disclose all campaign contributions and expenditures per state law.
Candidates must submit their pre-election finance report of all activity from Jan. 1 to Feb. 13 to the town clerk by 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 23, and their post-election report of all activity from Feb. 14 to March 22 by 4:30 p.m. on April 1.
Those reports will be posted on the town’s website 20 days following submittal deadlines.
The last day for a candidate to withdraw themselves from the ballot is Jan. 28.