Clerk Predicts Voter Turnout:27-Percent Voter Turnout Expected

By Joseph Domelowicz Jr.

As noted last week, City Clerk Mary Audley is predicting low voter turnout in next week’s city elections.

Despite the fact that there are races across the School Committee and for several seats on the Council, including in the At-Large race where three incumbents will face off with several well-known candidates for the four At-Large seats, Audley said she has not seen much interest from voters during the campaign season.

“I expect voting to be up in Ward 7, Wards 1 and 2 vote all the time and there are races in Wards 4 and 5, but still I am guessing that around 5,000 voters would be a good turnout this year,” said Audley.

Given that there are less than 18,000 voters in the city, the Clerk’s prediction amounts to less than 28-prcent voter turnout.

Below is the list of candidates vying for election next Tuesday and the seats they are seeking. All candidates are listed in the order their names will appear on the ballot and incumbent candidates have an (I) following their name.

The last day for early voting will be Monday, Nov. 2 at noon at the Clerk’s office in City Hall.

School Committee:

Jared Nicholson

Michael Ouk

June Natola

Donna Coppola (I)

Patricia Capano(I)

Delores DiFillipo

Natasha Megie-Maddrey

John Ford (I)

Maria Carrasco (I)

Lorraine Gately

Contested races on the City Council include:

Ward 4 City Councilor

Richard Colucci (I)

Ariana Murrell-Rosario’s

Ward 5 City Councilor

Marven-Rhode Hyppolite

Dianna Chakoutis (I)

Ward 7 City Councilor

Brian Field

Jay Walsh.

Councilor At-Large (4 elected)

Hong Net (I)

Timothy Phelan

Daniel Cahill (I)

Brian LaPierre

Rick Starbard