RUMFORD – The three Charter Commission candidates who took out papers for one of the six available seats had no trouble winning during Tuesday’s special election.

But with more than 100 write-in candidates, the eight ballot clerks took more than three hours to tally the votes for the final three commission members.

Winning handily were the ballot candidates: Carlo Puiia, with 345 votes, Joseph Roberts with 265 votes, and Ron Theriault with 264 votes.

Write-in candidate Eugene Boivin, a former selectman and chairman of an earlier charter commission, drew 214 votes, ensuring a seat for him on the panel.

Richard Lovejoy with 114 votes and Linda French, with 98 votes, were also elected.

Lovejoy, French and Linda Macgregor made a last-minute, write-in campaign effort together. Macgregor and Harrison Burns tied with 81 votes, not enough for a seat.

The next three highest write-in names were Seth Carey with 56 votes, Selectman Arthur Boivin with 23 votes, and Rob Cameron with 20 votes.

Tuesday’s election winners will join James Thibodeau, Linda Couture and Walter Buotte on the commission. They were appointed earlier by selectmen.

With nearly 400 votes cast, the special election drew more people than nearly any other one-issue election in recent memory, said several people who worked on the election.

According to state law, Town Clerk Jane Giasson must call the commission’s organizational meeting so members can elect a chairman, vice-chairman and secretary. She said Tuesday night that the meeting will likely be called in early September.

The commission has a year to make revisions or changes to the town’s charter.

Eugene Boivin said a town’s charter is like a constitution. It provides rules and regulations for operating a town.

Reading from state law Tuesday night, Boivin said the commission must hold a public hearing to obtain public input within 30 days of the organizational meeting. Within nine months, a preliminary report must be prepared, followed within three months by the final draft, which will be presented to selectmen. They’ll then present the proposed changes or revisions to voters during a regular or special election.

Boivin said he was concerned that the current charter has no provisions for recalling elected officials. He also advocates term limits for selectmen and wants to keep the town meeting format for approving a municipal budget. However, he’d like to see secret ballots at a traditional town meeting rather than a show of hands.

Roberts also advocates staying with the traditional town meeting, but with the addition of secret ballot votes held during the meeting because, he said, having an open meeting gives people a chance to understand what they are voting on.

Residents will decide that issue during the Nov. 7 election.