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The 2026 Town Election Guide is now live, offering Winchester residents a comprehensive, nonpartisan resource ahead of this year’s annual town election.
Produced as a collaboration between the League of Women Voters of Winchester and Winchester News, the digital guide is intended to serve not as a one-time reference, but as a central hub for election coverage throughout the spring. Content will be added and updated on a rolling basis as information becomes available, making the guide a living document rather than a static publication.
The guide has been designed to include background on elected positions, candidate information and context on ballot questions to help residents make informed decisions. As the election approaches, the page will expand to capture related reporting, embed videos from public forums and link directly to candidate questionnaires and supporting documents.
For Winchester News, the guide reflects a long-standing commitment to civic access and local accountability.
“As one of the founders of Winchester News, it was always my goal to provide the necessary information to have civically informed residents,” said Tara Hughes. “Our vision has always been to fill the information gap left by the lack of local news in the Advocate & Star in order to increase civic participation and improve civil discourse. Our election guides are one way of moving toward this vision.”
For the Winchester News, this is building on last year’s inaugural effort and expanding it through collaboration this election cycle.
“Providing Winchester residents with a comprehensive voter’s guide for the town election has always a goal of Winchester News,” said editor Nell Escobar Coakley. “We were so excited to provide that resource last year. This year, we’re thrilled to collaborate with the League of Women Voters and continue to bring our readers the information they want and need to make informed decisions about their community.”
For the League of Women Voters of Winchester, the partnership builds on several years of work aimed at improving access to local election information.
“League of Women Voters of Winchester started publishing Voter Guides in 2021, recognizing a lack of a consistent, accessible resource about candidates running for Town Meeting or townwide offices,” said Caroline Shamu, a former steering committee member.
Marilyn Mullane, spokesperson for the League of Women Voters of Winchester, said the collaboration aligns closely with the League’s mission.
“Partnering with Winchester News is a natural extension of our goal to deliver timely, accessible information to voters while supporting the local news our community depends on,” Mullane said.
The goal is for residents to return to the guide repeatedly as new material is published, including coverage of key issues, candidate profiles and campaign developments. On election night, the guide will also serve as a centralized location for vote tallies and results as they are reported.
Neither the League of Women Voters of Winchester nor Winchester News supports or opposes any political party or candidate. Organizers emphasized that the guide is designed to inform residents and support civic participation by providing timely, relevant information to help residents make informed choices at the ballot box.
The guide will continue to grow as candidate information is finalized, forums are held and voters head to the polls. Readers are encouraged to check back regularly as additional stories, forum recordings and results are added in the weeks ahead.
Will Dowd is a Massachusetts journalist who covers municipal government and community life for Winchester News. He runs The Marblehead Independent, a reader-funded digital newsroom.
