LISBON – Voters will go to the polls Saturday for a special election to choose six members for a new Charter Commission. Seven candidates are vying for the openings.

Once elected, the commission will have nine months to come up with a preliminary draft of a proposed town charter and 12 months for a final draft, followed by a referendum vote. There will be public hearings.

All candidates share similar concerns: Lisbon needs to develop a more efficient form of government that will increase resident participation. None would eliminate town meetings, but all feel there should be changes because attendance is low and the annual meetings tend to be dominated by special-interest groups.

The candidates are:

• Robert A. Berube, 60, a 26-year resident whose roots in Lisbon go back several generations. He is a real estate broker, former selectman and state legislator. Berube feels a more efficient form of government needs to be developed, one that responds more quickly than the current town meeting can.

• David A. Bowie, 57, a lifelong resident and high school teacher for 37 years. He has served on the Board of Selectmen and has moderated town meetings. Bowie served on the committee that drew up the first proposed town charter in the 1980s. He attributed its defeat to voters’ fear of eliminating town meeting.

• H. Courtenay Fenn, 79, a retired certified public accountant who has lived here five years. Fenn says he is open to anything. He served on the Governance Committee, is a member of the Advisory Board and is active in the Historical Society.

• Warren G. Greim, 79, a retiree who has lived in town for 48 years. He served as a water commissioner for more than 20 years, stepping down in 2002. Greim says he has a keen interest in town affairs.

• David F. Hale, 76, a lifelong resident and retired state worker since 1981. He served as a water commissioner for 33 years, retiring in 2003; and was a volunteer fireman for 60 years. Hale feels the current system of local government is no longer working.

• J. Michael Huston, 55, a 21-year resident. He chaired the Governance Committee that recommended a Charter Commission be elected to develop a town charter, is a former selectman and was town manager of Oxford before recently accepting the position of county administrator of Lincoln County. Huston feels there is a need to look at changing the way the town is run.

• Kenneth G. Wells, 49, a hydro-engineer who has lived in Lisbon since 1988. He believes something ought to be done about special interest groups at town meeting. Wells is willing to consider all options, such as keeping town meeting, but voting on big ticket items separately.

The Charter Commission will consist of nine members, three of whom have already been appointed by selectmen. Those members are Constance Moran, William Bauer and Charles Smith.

Absentee ballots are available.