Last day to register to vote in November election is Oct. 14

Last day to register to vote in November election is Oct. 14

Boston’s Board of Election Commissioners on Monday reminded prospective voters and current voters who have moved that the last day to register to vote or change voting addresses for the Nov. 3 municipal election is Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009.

City residents will go to the polls on Nov. 3 to cast their votes for a mayor, four at-large city councilors and nine district city councilors. Mayors serve four-year terms, while city councilors are elected for two-year terms. Polls in Boston open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Voting in Massachusetts, including Boston, is address-based. Voters can make sure that their voting information is up-to-date by checking online at http://www.cityofboston.gov/elections and clicking on the “Voter Registration Search” link.

Residents who are registered to vote in the City of Boston but have moved to a new address are asked to write a brief note including their full name, date of birth, old voting address and new voting address, as well as a means of contact (either a telephone number or e-mail address), sign the note and mail it to: Boston Election Department, Room 241, Boston City Hall, Boston, MA 02201. New voter registration forms may be downloaded from the Elections Department’s Web site and used to change residential information.

Those who are currently registered in Massachusetts, but not in Boston, must re-register to vote. A National Voter Registration form can be downloaded from http://www.cityofboston.gov/elections. Voters can also call 617-635-3767 to have a new form sent to them.

All new voter registration forms or address changes must be postmarked no later than Oct. 14, 2009, to be recognized for the Nov. 3 municipal election. For more information, contact the Elections Department at 617-635-3767 or visit their Web site at http://www.cityofbos ton.gov/elections.

 Congressman slams pace of Mass. stimulus spending

A powerful Minnesota congressman has criticized the pace at which Massachusetts is spending economic stimulus money for transportation projects, and called on Gov. Deval Patrick to “refocus” and use the available money to create needed jobs.

U.S. Rep. James Oberstar, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, told Patrick in a letter sent last Thursday that Massachusetts has committed just 23 percent of its highway stimulus money so far, 49th in the nation.

The state has received $437 million in federal highway funds, but only about $99 million in construction work was underway as of Aug. 31, according to the most recently available data.

“I strongly urge you to refocus your efforts … and use the available funds to create and sustain family-wage jobs,” the Minnesota Democrat wrote. “These jobs are critical to Massachusetts and the nation’s long-term economic growth.”

Patrick responded last Saturday, saying that the ranking relies solely on the speed with which a state allocates money, but noting that Massachusetts was focused on selecting projects that create spinoff work and permanent jobs.

He said in a letter to Oberstar that ambitious projects take longer to deliver, but “provide greater long-term economic growth.”

“We very consciously decided that a balanced approach was called for,” Patrick wrote. “The project mix we developed will provide short-term construction jobs in many areas of the Commonwealth, while also leveraging long-term economic development.”

(Associated Press)