FRAMINGHAM, MA - The following contains information about running for Town Office, running for Town Meeting, as well as voter info, general candidate and election info and key dates related to the 2011 Framingham Town Election.

Framingham's Annual Town Election will be held April 5th, 2011. Help decide who will serve in your town's government --- vote!

Nomination papers for those planning to run for Town Offices in 2011 were available from the Town Clerk on November 29, 2010.  To be nominated, candidates for Town Offices needed to return the nomination papers with  the valid signatures of  fifty registered Framingham voters.  (These dates and requirements were for "Town Offices" only, not for Town Meeting Member candidates).

Candidates for Town Office who did complete the nomination process now have until Thursday, February 3, 2011 to withdraw, or for any objections to their candidacy be filed.

Framingham 2011 Annual Town Election / Town Office Candidates are:

• Moderator, (one year term), incumbent Ed Noonan is running unopposed.

• Town Clerk, (three year term), incumbent Valerie Mulvey is running unopposed.

• Selectmen, (three year terms), two seats are up for grabs with incumbent and current Board of Selectmen Chairman Dennis Giombetti and incumbent Laurie Lee both facing challenges from Steven Hakar, Thomas Mahoney, Jim Rizoli, Nick Sanchez and Eric Silverman.

• School Committee, (three year terms), candidates vying for three seats include incumbents Michael J. Bower, David F. Miles and Carol C. Phalen and challengers Robert H. Bolles, Heather A. Connolly and Steven Hakar, (note: Hakar is also running for Selectman).

• Planning Board, (three year term), incumbent Christine A. Long is running unopposed.

• Library Trustee, (three year terms), barring any winning write-in campaign, the four seats to be filled will likely go to the four incumbent candidates; Danielle Green Barney, Arthur M. Finstein, Samuel L. Klaidman and Joanne Thompson.

• Keefe Tech School Committee, (three years terms), again, barring any winning write-in campaigns, the two available seats will likely go to the two incumbent candidates;  AJ Mulvey and Michael M. Rossi.

• Trustee Edgell Grove Cemetery, (five year term),  challenger Thomas V. Pedulla is seeking to unseat incumbent Stanton T. Fitts.

• Housing Authority, (five year term), one seat with incumbent Robert L. Merusi running unopposed.

Aside from Town Offices, voters will also elect new Town Meeting Members. Incumbent Town Meeting Members have until Tuesday, February 8, 2011 to file a written notice of intent to seek reelection, (this enables the Town Clerk to prepare a list of open TM seats).

New prospective candidates for Town Meeting will then have until Tuesday, February 15, 2011 to file nomination papers. Nomination papers for TM seats must contain the valid signatures of [at least] 25 registered voters who reside in the precinct that seat represents.   Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 5:00PM is the deadline to file objections to any Town Meeting candidate or for a TM candidate to withdraw from the election.

There will be no preliminary election. Preliminary elections are only required when more than four times the number of candidates are nominated for any one Town Office seat to be filled, (e.g.- if two Selectman seats are to be filled, it would require nine or more candidates filing papers for those two seats to trigger the need for a preliminary election.  See MA Ch. 169, Acts of 2003 for actual language of this law).

Framingham Town Election

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

*** You must be registered to vote! ***

The deadline for Voter Registration for the Town Election is Wednesday, March 16, 2011, (you can register in the Framingham Town Clerk's office which will remain open until 8:00PM).

For more info about Voter Registration, Nominations or aspects of Framingham elections,  contact Framingham Town Clerk's Office, 150 Concord Street, (Room 105), Framingham, Massachusetts 01702, or by phone at: (508) 532-5520

###