The names of six candidates for various elective town offices will appear on the ballot in the annual Town Election. There are also two declared write-in candidates whose names will not appear on the ballot because they entered the race after the deadline.
Dyana Boutwell is a write-in candidate for one of two seats on the School Committee. Ryan Carroll is a write-in candidate for one of two seats on the Community Planning Commission. To cast a vote for a write-in candidate, voters must write in the candidate’s name in the space provided and fill in the accompanying oval beside that space on the ballot.
Published in the May 3, 2018 edition.
By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — It’s here. The annual rite of spring, when the town’s voters go to the polls to elect their representatives in town government, will be held on Tuesday, May 8. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
With no contested races, interest in the election perked up when two residents responded to those potential vacancies by launching write-in campaigns.
Dyana Boutwell is a write-in candidate for one of two open seats on the School Committee. Richard McGowan is officially on the ballot for the other open seat on the School Committee. Both vacancies opened up when incumbents Jerry Venezia and Julie Koepke announced their intentions not to seek re-election.
The other write-in candidate is Ryan Carroll, who is seeking a vacant seat on the Community Planning Commission (CPC) that opened up after incumbent Joe Veno announced he would not be seeking re-election to this seat or his post on the Housing Authority. Boutwell, McGowan and Carroll are all newcomers to local politics.
Incumbent CPC Chairman Bill Bellavance is officially on the ballot to retain his seat as well.
Candidates unchallenged for their seats are incumbent Selectman Steve O’Leary and incumbent Selectwoman Kathryn Manupelli; incumbent Town Moderator John Murphy, and Housing Authority newcomer Charles “Chuck” Carucci.
A specimen ballot appears in today’s Transcript along with candidate statements from Carucci, Bellavance and Carroll. Last week’s Transcript had candidate’s statements from O’Leary, Manupelli, McGowan and Boutwell.
Absentee ballots available
Town Clerk Barbara Stats is not expecting a record-setting day at the polls but noted that registered voters may request absentee ballots up until noon on Monday, May 7 either in person or by mail. An absentee ballot can be voted at the counter in the Town Clerk’s office at Town Hall, 235 North St., by the noon Monday, or delivered to the Town Hall before the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
As of April 18, the cutoff date to register to vote for this election, Stats noted that there are officially 11,041 registered voters in town.
Preliminary election results will be read after the polls close at 8 p.m., however she noted that this initial result will only reveal the total number of votes for write-in candidates that were cast. She and her election staff will subsequently hand-tally the ballots with write-in notations to determine the official results, which will be known by late Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning.
Centralized voting
Voters in all four precincts cast their ballots at the Parish Hall of St. Theresa’s Church, 63 Winter St. All vehicles must follow the existing traffic pattern by entering the parking lot on the westerly side (closest to Kitty’s). With the exception of voters needing access to handicap parking spaces, all voters must drive around to the rear of the church and proceed to the east lot to access the hall. Spaces in the rear lot are reserved for election workers. Spaces near the rectory in the west lot are reserved for church staff and visitors.
