Editing Norwell, Massachusetts (section)

==Government==

On the national level, Norwell is a part of [[Massachusetts's 9th congressional district]], represented by [[William R. Keating|Bill Keating]]. The state's junior ([[Classes of United States Senators#Class II|Class II]]) member of the [[United States Senate]], elected in 2013, is [[Ed Markey]]. The senior ([[Classes of United States Senators#Class I|Class I]]) senator, elected in 2012, is [[Elizabeth Warren]].

On the state level, Norwell is represented in the [[Massachusetts House of Representatives]] as a part of the Fifth Plymouth district by David DeCoste, which includes the neighboring towns of Hanover and Rockland. The town is represented in the [[Massachusetts Senate]] by Patrick O'Connor as a part of the [[Massachusetts Senate's Plymouth and Norfolk district|Plymouth and Norfolk district]], which includes Cohasset, Duxbury, Hingham, Hull, Marshfield, Scituate, and Weymouth.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mass.gov/legis/citytown.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929115141/http://www.mass.gov/legis/citytown.htm|url-status=dead|title=Index of Legislative Representation by City and Town, from Mass.gov|archive-date=September 29, 2007|access-date=June 21, 2023}}</ref> The town is home to the First Barracks of Troop D of the [[Massachusetts State Police]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mass.gov/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111127055400/http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eopsterminal&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Law+Enforcement+%26+Criminal+Justice&L2=Law+Enforcement&L3=State+Police+Troops&L4=Troop+D&sid=Eeops&b=terminalcontent&f=msp_divisions_field_services_troops_troop_d_msp_field_troop_d_station_d1&csid=Eeops|url-status=dead|title=Mass.gov|archive-date=November 27, 2011|website=Mass.gov|access-date=June 21, 2023}}</ref>

Norwell is governed on the local level by the [[open town meeting]] form of government, and is led by a Town Administrator and a [[board of selectmen]]. The town operates its own police and fire departments. In 2015 a new police headquarters building was added to the Fire Department Headquarters, originally built in 1999, on Route 53 on the west side of town. Emergency Communications have been consolidated with the towns of Hingham, Cohasset, and Hull in Hingham. Norwell has an emergency services division within the Fire Department; all emergency room visits are brought to South Shore Hospital. The town has its own post office, at the town's center.

There are three libraries in the town, two of them independent. The Norwell Public Library, temporarily relocated to Route 53 in Hanover while a new facility is under construction behind the high school near Assinippi, belongs to the Old Colony Library Network (OCLN).<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://norwell.wickedlocal.com/news/20190405/norwell-public-library-says-goodbye-to-its-old-home-and-prepares-for-move | title=Wicked Local &#124; Mariner|website=Borwell.wickedlocal.com }}</ref> The James Library and Center for the Arts is near the town center, and is associated with the First Parish Church of Norwell. The James Library was founded by Josiah Leavitt James of Chicago, a former resident of South Scituate, who was persuaded by William Hamilton Fish, minister of First Parish Church, to fund a town library.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.firstparishnorwell.org/history.htm|title=History of First Parish Church of Norwell|website=Firstparishnorwell.org|access-date=May 16, 2017}}</ref> The South Shore Natural Science Center, next to Jacobs Pond, also has a small nature library.

{| class=wikitable
! colspan = 6 | Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 15, 2008<ref>{{cite web|title = Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 15, 2008 | publisher = Massachusetts Elections Division | access-date = May 8, 2010 | url = http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/st_county_town_enroll_breakdown_08.pdf}}</ref>
|-
! colspan = 2 | Party
! Number of Voters
! Percentage
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| align = center | 1,829
| align = center | 23.89%
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| align = center | 1,543
| align = center | 20.15%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| Unaffiliated
| align = center | 4,263
| align = center | 55.68%
|-
| {{party color cell|Libertarian Party (United States)}}
| [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]]
| align = center | 21
| align = center | 0.27%
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! align = center | 7,656
! align = center | 100%
|}