Published in the January 11, 2018 edition

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

NORTH READING — The first day that candidates for elective office in the annual town election can pull nomination papers is Tuesday, January 16, according to Town Clerk Barbara Stats.

Election Day this year is Tuesday, May 8, which means the deadline for candidates to return their nomination papers to the Town Clerk’s office is Tuesday, March 20 at 5 p.m., Stats added. Her office will remain open an extra hour on the deadline day to accept the nomination papers.

All candidates are required to obtain a minimum of 50 signatures from residents who are registered to vote in the town of North Reading to be eligible to be included on the ballot. Therefore, Stats always advises candidates to submit more than the minimum number of signatures required because her office is unable to certify signatures that are “duplications, illegible or ineligible.”

Once a candidate is certified as eligible to run for an elective office, the last day that candidate can choose to withdraw his or her name from the ballot is Thursday, April 5 at 5 p.m.

The last day a resident of the town can register to vote to participate in the May 8 annual town election is Wednesday, April 18 at 8 p.m., she said.

Elective offices for 2018

According to Stats, seven seats on the following four boards plus the town moderator’s seat are up for election this year. The names of incumbents are listed in parentheses.

• Two seats for three-year terms on the Board Selectmen (Stephen O’Leary, Kathryn Manupelli);

• One seat for a one-year term for Town Moderator (John Murphy);

• Two seats for three-year terms on the School Community (Gerald Venezia and Julie Koepke);

• Two seats for three-year terms on the Community Planning Commission (William Bellavance and Joseph Veno);

• One seat for a five-year term on the Housing Authority (Joseph Veno).

Candidates for any municipal office are required to file campaign finance reports on specific dates per the provisions of Mass. General Law Chapter 55. Those with questions about this process may contact the state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance for assistance by phone: 617-727-8352, email: ocpf@cpf.state.ma.us or visit the website at www.mass.gov/ocpf.

For additional assistance the public may also call the Town Clerk’s office at 978-357-5218.