SAUGUS — With candidates crowding election contests for Board of Selectmen and School Committee, one veteran committee member said a candidate’s position on the Nov. 5 ballot could help or hurt on election day.
Eleven candidates are listed on the School Committee ballot, with Committee Chairwoman Jeanette E. Meredith occupying the tenth spot following a ballot position drawing overseen by Town Clerk Ellen Schena.
Meredith said there are several theories about ballot position merits and disadvantages with one theory suggesting crowded candidate fields prompt voters to “bullet” or select candidates listed in the top or bottom five ballot positions.
Meredith is running for her fourth term and confident voters who know and like her will find her on the ballot. But she said this year’s candidates field is much bigger than the six or seven School Committee contenders who ran in the previous three town elections.
“This is the biggest race I’ve seen. It’s pretty contentious,” Meredith said.
Board of Selectmen member Scott A. Brazis is running for a third term on the board and said he would have preferred not to be listed last on the 12-candidate ballot.
“You never want to be last but it is what it is,” Brazis said.
Brazis appeared fourth on the selectmen’s ballot the first time he ran for office and considered the position lucky.
“That was my hockey number,” he said.
Candidates are vying for five seats on the Board of Selectmen and five School Committee positions.
Ballot positions for selectmen on the Nov. 5 ballot from top to bottom are: Michael J. Serino, Debra C. Panetta, Anthony W. Cogliano Sr., Domenic Montano, Michael Coller, Jennifer E. D’Eon, Paul H. Allan, Jeffrey V. Cicolini, Christopher R. Jones, Alberto Vito Morgante, Corinne R. Riley, and Brazis.
Ballot positions for School Committee on the ballot from top to bottom are: Darren S. Ring, Arthur Grabowski, Thomas R. Whittredge, Ryan P. Fisher, Linda N. Gaieski, John S. Hatch, Marc Charles Magliozzi, Joseph D. Gould, Meredith, and William A. Marchand Jr.
Housing Authority candidate ballot positions are: James A. Tozza, Stephen M. Horlick, Maureen E. Whitcomb, and John Cannon.
Three Authority members’ terms have expired, according to the town website.
Precinct 1 ballot positions are: F. Ann Devlin, Susan C. Dunn, Ronald W. Witten, Anthony Roger Arone, Joyce C. Rodenhiser, Christopher R. Jones, and Assunta A. Palomba.
Voters elect five people to represent each precinct at Town Meeting.
Precinct 2 ballot positions are: Christopher Riley, Christine M. Moreschi, William R. Moore, Thomas A. Falasca, Joseph Vecchione IV, Peter A. Rossetti Jr., Robert James Camuso Sr., and Stephen D. Sweezey.
Precinct 3 ballot positions are: Gregory Angeo Nickolas, William B. Stewart, Philp J. Rando, Richard E. Thompson, Rick A. Smith and Arthur David Connors Jr.
Precinct 4 ballot positions are: Keith Allen McCabe, Andrew James Whitcomb, George E. Falardeau III, Albert J. Dinardo, Stephen N. Doherty, William L. Leuci, Glen R. Davis and Maureen E. Whitcomb.
Precinct 5 ballot positions are: Mary Frances Migliore, Ronald Mark Wallace, Laura Z. Groark, Julie Ann Mitchell, Brendon H. Spencer and Pamela J. Goodwin.
Precinct 6 ballot positions are: William S. Brown, Matthew John Scrivano, Jean M. Bartolo, Matthew A. Canterbury, Kevin D. Currie and Allen V. Panico.
Precinct 7 ballot positions are: Shawn J. Ayube, Robert A. Palleschi, Stephen F. McCarthy, Michael J. Paolini, Richard Patrick Lavoie and John George Chipouras.
Precinct 8 ballot positions are: Thomas A. Traverse, Stephen M. Horlick, Anthony J. Lopresti, Joia C. Cicolini, Joan I. Fowler and William E. Cross III.
Precinct 9 ballot positions are: Judith A. Worthley, Ryan P. Fisher, Katrina L. Berube, John S. Cottam, Daniel M. Kelly and Robert J. Long.
Precinct 10 ballot positions are: Michael J. Serino, Darren S. Ring, Martin J. Costello, Peter Z. Manoogian Sr. and Steven C. DiVirgilio.
