Beverly Preliminary Mayoral Election Race Set For September

BEVERLY, MA — There will be three mayoral candidates for two ballot spots up for grabs in the November general election when Beverly voters go to the polls in the preliminary election set for Sept. 26.

Mayor Mike Cahill is running for re-election, with challenges coming from Philip Venezia and James Zarella. Former City Council president Paul Guanci took out nomination papers in April but opted not to run in the election and never had them certified.

It is shaping up as a limited slate of contested races this fall with no other School Committee or City Council races requiring a preliminary election.

The City Council on Monday did approve an early voting schedule for the preliminary election.

Early voting will take place on the first floor of City Hall on Sept. 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and continue for five days beginning on Sept. 18. Voting will be on Sept. 18 through Sept. 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Sept. 21 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sept. 22 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The last day to register to vote in the preliminary election is Sept. 16. The City Clerk's Office will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. that day.

Polls will be open on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. with Ward 1 voting at Ayers Ryal Side School, Ward 2 voting at the Beverly Public Library on Essex Street, Ward 3 voting at the McKeown School on Balch Street, Ward 4 voting on the Cohen School on Eisenhower Street, Ward 5 voting at the North Beverly School on Putnam Street and Ward 6 voting at the Centerville School on Hull Street.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)