Westfield City Clerk Karen M. Fanion (WNG File Photo)
WESTFIELD – During the second week of being available, two additional people left the City Clerk’s office with candidate election forms for seats on the City’s School Committee.
Current School Committee members Diane Mayhew and Bo (Barry) Sullivan have joined fellow School Committee member Ramon Diaz, Jr., and former member Jeffrey Gosselin, in picking up nomination papers from the City Clerk’s office. The two latest inquiries brings the recent total to four individuals seeking to fill three School Committee seats up for election in the November 2019 Municipal Election.
Also picking up papers this week for the Ward 1 Municipal Light Board seat was Luis Morales of Gifford Avenue. That makes a total of 20 residents who have started the process to run for office this year.
City Clerk Karen M. Fanion said picking up papers doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll see their names on the ballot in November. “If they pick up papers and don’t return them, or if they don’t have enough good signatures, they won’t appear on the ballot,” Fanion said.
Potential candidates must get 50 certified signatures by the deadline of Tuesday, August 6 at 5 p.m.. Fanion said candidates can get as many as they want, but the Clerk’s office will certify 60 for each.
Nomination papers are available to candidates until Friday, August 2 at 5 p.m.
A preliminary election, if required, will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 24. A preliminary election will be held ONLY if the number of candidates for an office exceeds double the number to be elected plus one. In other words, a preliminary election will be held for Mayor, Ward Councilor, Municipal Light Board Commissioner, or Athenaeum Trustee if there are three or more candidates for the same office. For Councilor At Large, a preliminary election will be held if there are fifteen or more candidates and the number is seven or more for School Committee.
A preliminary election will reduce the number of candidates in the mayoral, ward council, Municipal Light Board Commission or Athenaeum Trustee race to two and in the Councilor At-large race to fourteen. In other words, the number of candidates will be reduced to twice the number to be elected.
The Municipal Election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
