HARTFORD – Voters will have the opportunity to elect a third member to the Board of Selectmen at a special election and town meeting Aug. 2.
Selectmen Lee Holman and Hope McCabe on Thursday agreed to open the polls and hold a town meeting the same day in order to expedite the process.
“I’m assuming that most residents would like to see us have a third person (elected) as soon as possible,” Holman said. She noted, however, that state law requires at least 24 days between the time nomination papers become available and an election is held.
According to Title 30-A, section 2528 of Maine law, a town may hold a special election to fill a vacancy. However, nomination papers must be available for at least 10 days prior to the filing deadline, and the filing deadline must be at least 14 days prior to the election.
Holman and McCabe agreed nomination papers would be made available at the town office by Saturday. It was unclear what the pair believed the filing deadline would be. According to state law, residents interested in running will have until July 19 to submit their papers with signatures from at least 25 registered voters.
Holman, McCabe and a handful of residents in the audience Thursday spent some time discussing the election and town meeting date, as well as polling hours. Holman said the polls only needed to be open for four hours, but she believed they should be open longer. Several times were proposed, and former Selectman Dave Kraske said he believed the polls should be open until after 4 p.m. in order to accommodate people working shifts that start early in the morning and run into the afternoon.
“It’s important to note that absentee ballots are always available for any election,” Holman said, but Kraske suggested it might be inconvenient for some people to have to stop by the town office twice, first to get a ballot and then to drop it off.
It was eventually agreed that the polls would be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 2, with the special town meeting to follow at 7 p.m.
Due to resignations after a controversial May 17 election, Holman was the only selectman serving the town from May 27 until McCabe was elected June 24 and sworn in the following day. In other business, the selectmen appointed McCabe temporary animal control officer, allowing newly elected Town Clerk Lianne Bedard to resign from the position.
McCabe and Holman agreed to advertise the post in local papers, and also to end a contract with Allen Hill Animal Shelter of Oxford.
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