LEWISTON — With one month left for candidates to secure a spot on the ballot, there are still plenty of races wide open.

City Clerk Kathy Montejo said her office has given out 16 nomination papers for elected positions since nominations opened July 11.

But some seats have proven to be more popular than others. Five candidates are seeking to get their names on the ballot for the mayor’s job, while two candidates each are seeking the City Council seats in Wards 5 and 6. That leaves six seats with no candidates at all. Those seats include the City Council seats in Wards 3 and 6 and School Committee seats for wards 1, 5 and 6 and the at-large seat.

“We still have a month to go, so there is plenty of time,” Montejo said. “But it is summer and people tend to forget about things until the last minute. If they are interested in running, they should contact our office.”

Lewiston candidates hoping to guarantee a spot on the Nov. 8 municipal ballot must file their nominating petitions and signatures by Sept. 9. The terms for the newly elected begin in January 2012. 

All 16 elected Lewiston seats will be on the November ballot. That includes the mayor, councilors for all seven wards, school committee members for all seven wards and the at-large School Committee member.

Candidates for Lewiston mayor need to gather between 100 and 200 signatures from registered Lewiston voters. 

Candidates for Lewiston City Council or School Committee members must gather at least 50 signatures. For all city councilors or School Committee members from a particular ward, signatures must come from registered voters from their ward. At-large School Committee candidates can gather signatures from any Lewiston registered voters.

The race for mayor has proven to be the most popular so far. Five have taken out papers: Stanley Pelletier, of 28 Surry Lane, Robert Macdonald, of 6 Jolin St., Walter M. Hill, of 10 Loubier Ave., and former City Councilor Mark Paradis and sitting Ward 4 Councilor Ron Jean. 

So far, Hill and Paradis are the only mayoral candidates to return their papers and guarantee themselves a spot on the ballot.

Only incumbent Ward 1 City Councilor John Butler has returned his nomination papers guaranteeing himself a spot on the ballot.

In Ward 2, Donald D’Auteuil, of 400 Montello St., is passing nominating petitions. Doreen Crist of 1 Buckley St. is passing nominations for the Ward 4 Council seat.

In Ward 5, both Craig Saddlemire, of 75 Maple St., and Charles Soule of 135 Bartlett St., are collecting signatures to get on the ballot for the council seat. In Ward 6, both incumbent councilor Mark Cayer and Stephen Miller of 12 Lucille Ave. are passing nominations to seek that seat.

It’s even more wide open in the race for School Committee. Incumbents Paul St. Pierre, of Ward 2, Eugene P. Dumont of Ward 3, James Handy of Ward 4 and Thomas Shannon of Ward 7 are passing nominating petitions. There are no candidates for Wards 1, 5, 6 and the at-large seat.

Montejo said that if no candidates for those currently uncontested seats step forward, the ballot will be printed with no names and the seat could go to a write-in candidate.

[email protected]