By Beth David, Editor
The annual election for town offices in both Fairhaven and Acushnet will be held on Monday, April 1, 2019.
For both towns Thursday, 2/7/19, at 5 p.m. is the deadline for requesting nomination papers. Mon. 2/11/19, at 5 p.m. is the dealine for turning in nomination papers to the town clerk’s office. Wed., 2/27/19 is the last day to withdraw papers.
In Fairhaven Town Meeting member incumbents have until Monday, 2/4 to file a written request for re-election with the Town Clerk.
Tuesday, March 12, 2019, is the last day to register to vote for the town election. The Town Clerk’s office in both towns will be open until 8 p.m. that day.
In Fairhaven you may register to vote any day from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the Fairhaven Town Clerk’s Office, Town Hall, 40 Center Street, Fairhaven.
In Acushnet, you may register to vote at the Town Clerk’s Office, Parting Ways Building, 130 Main St., Acushnet, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Tuesdays 8:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Fridays 8:00 a.m.11:30 a.m.
Mail-in voter registration forms are available at both Town Clerk’s Offices, the Millicent Library in Fairhaven, and state and federal offices throughout Massachusetts. You may also register to vote online at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr/
After picking up nomination papers at the Town Clerk’s office, candidates must gather the proper number of signatures to appear on the ballot. In Fairhaven, to vote at Town Meeting, you must be a member. You must get nomination papers and gather 10 certified signatures from YOUR precinct only.
Acushnet has an open Town Meeting, where any registered voter can vote.
For Townwide Offices
In Fairhaven papers for townwide office require 50 certified signatures.
In Acushnet, papers for townwide office require 43 certified signatures.
Candidates should speak with their town clerk for details.
Polling Places
Polling places for Fairhaven’s town elections are: Precinct 1, Town Hall; Precincts 2 & 3, Hastings Middle School; Precinct 4, Fairhaven Fire Station; Precincts 5 & 6, Recreation Center. Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on 4/1/19.
All precincts in Acushnet vote at the Elementary School on Middle Road.
Contacts
If you have any questions about running for office or registering to vote, contact your town’s Town Clerk’s office.
Fairhaven: office or registering to vote, 508-979-4023, Ext. 3; at Town Hall, 40 Center Street.
Acushnet: 508-998-0215; Parting Ways Building, 130 Main Street, Acushnet (adjacent to Town Hall).
Who’s up for re-election?
Although it is early in the process to know who will actually run for which seats, it is not too early to list the seats up for a vote in April.
In Fairhaven, Selectboard mamber Daniel Freitas’s seat will be on the ballot. Lisa Plante has taken out papers for that seat, but had not returned them by press time.
The Town Clerk seat is also on the ballot for a full term this year. Technically, it is vacant, because former clerk Eileen Lowney retired. Her assistant, Carolyn Hurley has been appointed acting Town Clerk. Ms. Hurley returned her papers with the proper number of signatures on 1/7.
The School Committee has two seats up this year. Incumbents for those seats are Michael McNamara and Stasia Powers. Neither has pulled papers yet.
For the Board of Health, Peter DeTerra is up for re-election. He returned his papers on 12/4/18.
For Commissioner of Trust Funds, Barbara Acksen is up for re-election.
For the Board of Public Works, one seat is up for re-election, held by Michael Ristuccia. Albert Martin, whose bid for a seat on the BPW ended in a tie last year, has taken out papers for Mr. Ristucci’s seat.
Mr. Ristuccia, however, has not taken out papers for his seat. He has taken out papers for the Planning Board.
There are two people up for re-election on the PB, Rene Fleurent and Wayne Hayward. Both have taken out papers for that four-year term. That makes three for two seats running, if they all return papers.
There is also an unexpired term for PB, vacated when Nicholas Carrigg resigned. John (Jay) Malaspino was appointed to that position and has taken out papers to run.
The Housing Authority also has one five-year seat on the ballot this year, currently held by Anne Silveira. She has not yet taken out nomination papers for that seat.
In Acushnet, only Thomas Fortin, Board of Health member, has taken out nomination papers for his three-year seat.
For other races, all three-year terms: Selectboard member Michael Cioper is up for re-election; Board of Assessors member Liberio DaSilva Soares is up for re-election; Sarah Gomes and Jennifer Downing are up for re-election for their seats on the School Committee; Commissioner of Trust Funds Marc Laplante is up for re-election; two Trustees of the Free Public Library, Kristen Leotti and Nancy Francis have terms expiring this year; the Cemetery Board’s Charlene Fortin is up for re-election; and Park Commissioner Christopher Anderson is up for re-election.
The Acushnet Housing Authority has one five-year seat on the ballot, currently held by Andrew Gomes. Planning Commissioner Richard Ellis is also up for re-election to a five-year term.
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