Election in Somerville next Tuesday, November 6

[ron_newman]

Next Tuesday, November 6, Somerville will hold an election for all city offices - Mayor, Alderman-at-Large, Ward Alderman, and School Committee member. Polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm. This page will tell you where to vote, and what ward you live in.

For mayor, incumbent Joe Curtatone is being challenged by Suzanne Bremer.

Six candidates (four incumbents, two challengers) are running for the four alderman-at-large seats.

In wards 5, 6, and 7 (the wards closest to Davis Square), the current ward alderman is running for re-election against a challenger.

In wards 1, 2, 3, and 4, the current ward alderman is unopposed for re-election.

All School Committee seats are unopposed; in ward 4, nobody is on the ballot at all because the incumbent failed to return sufficient petition signatures on time.

Mayoral candidates:
Suzanne Bremer
Joe Curtatone - incumbent

Alderman-at-Large candidates - vote for up to four
Fred Berman
Jack Connolly - incumbent
Bruce Desmond - incumbent
Tony Lafuente
Dennis Sullivan - incumbent
Bill White - incumbent

Ward 5 Alderman
Joe Lynch
Sean O'Donovan - incumbent - if he has a web site, I can't find it

Ward 6 Alderman
Charles Chisholm
Rebekah Gewirtz - incumbent

Ward 7 Alderman
Rachel Heller
Bob Trane - incumbent

Somerville Journal article: Candidates for alderman at large have varied backgrounds to choose from - also links to videos of each candidate answering two questions from the Journal
Somerville News article: Candidates tell you where they stand

Candidates' responses to questionnaires from ...
Local anti-poverty organizations (mayoral candidates only)
Progressive Democrats of Somerville
Somerville Dog Owners' Group (som|dog)

My earlier LJ post about this election
And an even earlier LJ post

For my own preferences, see the comments.

Comments

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

Here's an even better explanation for 'bullet' voting, based on how the ballots are tallied.
~Everyone has 4 votes for Alderman at Large. If you only use 1 vote, the other 3 votes are counted as 'blanks'. Thus, it moves your candidate up a notch while the other candidates stay at the same place. Thus, your candidate gets a 'bump' toward reaching the finish line first!
Also, FYI to Ron, as you said above you don't live in Ward 5. I'm still undecided in this race, and I DO live in Ward 5. I just wanted to say that I find it annoying when people who do not live in my ward tell me who is the best candidate for the ward. There is no way you can know enough about the everyday goings on in Ward 5. I realize that people get to know candidates in many different forums, but because you agree with someone (anyone) on one particuar issue, does not necessarily mean that person would be the best person to represent the entire ward. One or two issues does not a Ward make! Just my two cents......

well count me annoying too

[winterhill.livejournal.com]

I don't live in Ward 5 but have met Joe Lynch and followed that race closely -- Ward 5 is very close to where I live. The reason why I hope my neighbors in 5 vote for Lynch is that he has always been very well informed about the issues of the Green Line extension, which will touch everyone in Ward 5 and most of us in Ward 4. He actually wants to prepare for the Green Line now, instead of doing it around election time in a couple of years, and he's not beholden to Developers which I think is a big plus. If I was in Ward 5 I'd be holding signs for him.

My at-large votes are going to Lafuente, White, and Berman (I think).