Nomination papers for all town-wide elected positions and Town Meeting members are available in Fairhaven.
Four people have taken out papers for Select Board, with Donna McKenna, who is currently on the School Committee, deciding to run for SB instead. In addition, Cathy Melanson, Andrew Romano, and Andrew Saunders have also taken out papers for SB.
Only Mr. Romano had returned papers by press time.
Candidates seeking to be elected to office need to take out nomination papers from the town clerk’s office and return them with the required number of signatures from registered voters.
Town-wide offices require 50 signatures; town meeting requires 10 signatures from the precinct in which you are running.
Call the town clerk’s office, 508-979-4023, ext. 3, for more information on how to run for office in Fairhaven.
Select Board has two seats up for election, held by Leon Correy III and Robert “Bob” Espindola; School Committee has two seats up, held by Donna McKenna and Colin Veitch; Board of Health has one seat held by Kevin Gallagher; Commissioner of Trust Funds has one, held by Colleen Silvia; Board of Public Works has two seats, held by Robert “Hoppy” Hobson and Travis Rapoza; Planning Board has two seats up, held by Jeff Lucas and Jessica Fidalgo; Housing Authority has one seat on the ballot, Anne Silveira; the Town Moderator position, held by Mark Sylvia, will also be on the ballot.
School Committee will also have one seat for an unexpired term on the ballot, currently held by Nicole Pacheco, who was appointed to fill Kyle Bueno’s seat.
Planning Board will also have an unexpired term to fill, currently held by Diane Tomasetti, who was appointed to fill David Braga’s seat.
Precincts will also choose their Town Meeting representatives. All six precincts have 23-25 seats up for re-election and several other vacant seats.
Select Board members, Leon Correy and Bob Espindola, and BOH member, Kevin Gallagher, have all announced publicly that they do not intend to run for reelection.
As of press time, four people had taken out papers for the School Committee seats. Colin Vietch took out papers to be reelected to his seat. Nicole Pacheco, Erik Baumann, and Brendalee Smith all took out papers for the full term and the unexpired term on School Commitee. They will only be allowed to return papers for one of the seats. By press time, none had returned papers.
In other races the following people took out papers: Jessica Fidalgo and Diane Tomassetti for their seats on the Planning Board; Robert “Hoppy” Hobson for his seat on BPW; Town Moderator Mark Sylvia; Colleen Silvia for reelection as Commissioner of Trust Funds. Ms. Tomassetti, Mr. Hobson, and Ms. Fidalgo have returned papers.
Monday, 1/22/24 is the last day for Town Meeting member incumbents to file written requests for reelection with the town clerk.
The last day to obtain nomination papers is Monday, 2/8/24. The last day to return papers is Monday, 2/12.
You may register to vote Monday–Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The last day to register to vote for the town election is Friday, 3/22/24. The Town Clerk’s Office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on that day.
Mail-in Voter Registration Forms are available at the Town Clerk’s Office, the Millicent Library and State and Federal offices. Monday, 3/25, is the last day to submit vote-by-mail applications to the Town Clerk.
The election will be held on Monday, 4/1/24. Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. All six precincts vote at the Fairhaven Recreation Center, 227 Huttleston Ave. (near Stop & Shop).
Call the town clerk’s office, 508-979-4023, ext. 3, if you have any questions.
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