Charlton Voters Approve Opt-Out of State Firearm Ban at Municipal Buildings

CHARLTON — January 12, 2026 — Charlton voters approved a citizen-petition article 481-161 at a Special Town Meeting Monday to opt the town out of the state's designation of municipal administrative buildings, grounds, and parking areas as prohibited zones for licensed firearm possession under M.G.L. c. 269, §10(k)(2)(i). The single-article warrant drew hundreds of residents to Charlton Middle School, with electronic voting devices issued in the main auditorium and paper ballots used in an overflow cafeteria supervised by State Representative John Marcy, who was sworn in as Assistant Town Moderator. Select Board member David Singer, speaking from the floor as a private citizen, noted that individual buildings — including the Charlton Public Library — retain authority to post their own firearms-restriction policies regardless of the town vote. Stephen Sage, chair of the Charlton Public Library Board of Trustees, reported the board had voted unanimously in December to oppose the article, calling the library's population of children a safety concern. The Moderator confirmed that existing state restrictions on firearms in school buildings remain in force and were unaffected by the vote.