School Committee Preliminary Election Guide

The School Committee has 3 seats up for election with 7 candidates. Because the ballot cannot have more than 6 candidates for those 3 seats, the Preliminary City Election will narrow the field down, and one of the candidates will be eliminated from the November ballot. If there is a candidate you want to see on the November ballot, it’s important to vote in the Preliminary City Election on or before 9/14.

• Douglas Gutro (incumbent)
• Emily Lebo (incumbent)
• Courtney Perdios (incumbent, appointed)
• Tina Cahill
• Ellen Patterson O’Donnell
• Liberty Schaaf
• Liz Speakman

The QFTC Education Task Force and QFTC organizers held a virtual candidate forum in August with Emily Lebo, Doug Gutro, Courtney Perdios, Liz Speakman, Liberty Scaaf, and Tina Cahill.

Strategic Voting

On the Preliminary City Election ballot, you will be able to choose up to two candidates per seat. This means that you will be able to choose up to 6 names for the school committee a. However, you do not need to use all your votes!

A good strategy to use in the Preliminary City Election to help get a candidate on the ballot in the City Election is to vote for just those candidates that you strongly support. By doing this, other candidates you might have voted for get one less vote, and you strengthen your preferred candidates’ chances for getting on the final ballot.

You can even vote for just one candidate if there’s just one you strongly support, especially if you support a candidate who is not an incumbent and who would benefit from strategic voting.

Registering to Vote

Verify Your Voter Status : Find your Ward, Precinct, and Polling Place

Three ways to register:

• Online voter registration
• In person at Clerk’s Office, City Hall
• By telephone: Call Elections Office and they will send an application (617) 376-1144

Polling Places

• List of polling places by Ward
• Find your polling place here, or call the City Clerk’s office

Mail-in Voting

• You must fill out an application to have a mail-in ballot sent to you.
  • Apply online
  • Call City Hall’s Elections office (617-376-1144) and ask them to send you an application
  • Visit the City Clerk at City Hall and apply in person
  • The last day to apply for a mail-in ballot ahead of the preliminary is Sept. 8.
• Mail in ballots must be received by the City Clerk no later than 8 PM on election days. They can be dropped off at the City Clerk’s office in person if you are worried about missing the mail-in deadline.

Absentee Voting

• You can vote in person at city hall up until noon the day before each election.
• The deadline to request an absentee ballot for the preliminary is noon on Sept. 13.