DURHAM — Residents defeated a citizen-initiated petition to withdraw from Regional School Unit 5 (Durham, Freeport and Pownal) by a vote of 1,718 to 650.

Sarah Hall was elected to fill a vacancy on the Board of Selectmen with 2,176 votes. She will fill the remainder of Philip Gilikson's term. He resigned earlier this year.

According to Town Clerk Shannon Plourde, the total votes cast were 2,428, which included 521 absentee ballots. The town has 3,167 registered voters. Broken down by political affiliation, these voters include 963 Republicans, 787 Democrats and 197 Green independents. The largest segment, 1,254, are unenrolled.