Londonderry voters will head to the polls on March 8 to cast their ballots in both the Town and School District Election.
The Supervisors of the Voter Checklist will meet at Londonderry Town Hall on Saturday, Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. until noon to register voters and correct the checklist. Anyone who has not previously registered may do so for the Town and School Election. Proof of citizenship, identity and residency is required, or residents may sign an affidavit.
Saturday, Feb. 27 is the last day for anyone who has not registered to vote to do so before the Town and School District Election.
Registration will be accepted at the polls on Election Day with proper documentation.
Candidates
In contested races, Londonderry voters will have a chance to re-elect representatives they believe have served the Town and District effectively or instead choose new leaders with a different vision for the future.
Running for two open positions on the Town Council for three-year terms are incumbents Tom Dolan and John Farrell and challenger Edward “Ted” Combes.
Pauline Caron, Robert J. Collins and John A. Curran are running for three seats open as Trustees of the Leach Library, all three-year terms. An error on the ballot stated that residents should vote for no more than two candidates. An inked in correction says to vote for no more than three candidates (see related story page 1).
Christine Patton and Donald Moskowitz are running for two open positions on the Budget Committee, both three-year terms, and Robert Saur is running for Town Moderator.
There is only one position for which no volunteers declared their intent to run – Supervisor of the Checklist.
Town Clerk Sherry Farrell said when no one runs for an open position, the position is offered to the write-in candidate with the most votes. In the event there is no write-in candidate, the Town Manager may appoint a volunteer.
Due to an oversight by the town a write-in candidate will be the option for the position of Town Treasurer as well. Town officials left off the Town Treasurer seat during the announcement for the candidate filing period.
“It was an oversight on my part,” Town Manager Kevin Smith said. “The position itself will be on the ballot, but because no one signed up during the filing period, it will work in the way we have had in the past where the top write-in vote-getter will get the position.”
Current Town Treasurer Kathy Wagner said she hadn’t initially planned to run for another three-year term, but has since decided to mount a write-in campaign for the position. Also mounting a write-in campaign is Melanie Tamburello, who is an employee of the Londonderry Times.
On the School District side, incumbent John Laferriere and newcomer Jenn Ganem are running for one open three-year seat on the School Board.
John Conley is seeking re-election as School District Treasurer, a three-year term; Mary Soares is seeking re-election as School District Clerk, also a three-year term; and Cindi Rice Conley is running for School District Moderator, a three-year term.
In addition to electing representatives to serve the Town and District in a variety of roles, the voters will weigh in on both the Town and District’s warrants (see stories pages 2 and 9).