Hingham Town Meeting approved a change to the town's bylaws that will shorten the hours for Saturday elections, following a debate over balancing cost savings with voter access. The measure in Article 27, which changes the closing time for Saturday polls from 8 p.m. to 6 p.m., passed in a standing vote of 240-201.

Town Clerk Carol Falvy proposed the change, arguing that the passage of the state's VOTES Act has made early voting by mail extremely popular, significantly reducing the number of in-person voters, especially in the evening. Falvy noted that last year only 110 people voted after 6 p.m. and that closing two hours earlier would save the town approximately $3,000 in overtime costs for poll workers, police, and DPW staff. She also pointed out that neighboring towns like Cohasset, Hanover, and Norwell already close their polls at 6 p.m.

However, several residents spoke against the reduction. Victor Baltera argued that the town should be encouraging voting, not creating potential barriers, especially given the "abysmally small" turnout in local elections. He stated that the 110 voters who cast ballots after 6 p.m. represented a significant 16% of in-person voters. Other speakers echoed this sentiment, suggesting that any cost savings were not worth potentially disenfranchising residents who rely on evening hours due to work or family obligations on a Saturday.

Motion: To amend the town bylaw so that at any town election held on a Saturday, the polls shall be open at 8:00 a.m. and remain open until 6:00 p.m.

Vote: Passed 240-201