LEWISTON — Ballots for a special City Council Ward 4 election should be available Wednesday morning.

City Clerk Kathy Montejo said Lewiston voters have until Feb. 2 to request absentee ballots. The election is scheduled for Feb. 7 at the Multi-Purpose Center  at 145 Birch St.

Three candidates have qualified to be on the ballot for the special election: Doreen Christ, of 1 Buckley Ave., Charles Turgeon, of 43 Buckley St. and Christina Berry, of 13 Dupuis Ave.

Ward 4 is located in the center of the city, from the intersection of Farwell and Webster streets east to Pond Road and from Sabattus Street south to Old Greene Road south to the Webster Street-Pond Road intersection. 

A residency error before November’s municipal election voided that vote.

Christ was the only official candidate listed on that ballot, although Turgeon ran a write-in campaign.

A review of residency records after the election showed that she was not a resident of the ward long enough qualify for the November vote. 

Christ moved within the city from College Street in Ward 3 to Buckley Street in Ward 4 on July 4, almost a month after the deadline to qualify for the election. According to city rules, she needed to be a Ward 4 resident by June 9 to qualify.

That voided the election.

The current and outgoing City Councilor is Ron Jean, who is due to leave office when the new council is sworn in on Jan. 3. The Ward 4 seat will be vacant until a new councilor is elected and sworn in.

Those same city rules say that Christ can now seek the Ward 4 seat, since she has lived at her address for more than three months.

Voters can come into the City Clerk’s Office to request an absentee ballot or call (207) 513-3124 to have one mailed to their home. Absentee ballots need to be returned to the City Clerk’s Office in City Hall.

All of the ballots will be counted by hand at the Multi-Purpose Center and results should be available that night.

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