Framingham Votes 2021: Preliminary Election Guide

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham voters will go to the polls Tuesday to narrow the field of candidates running for mayor and City Council in District 7. Framingham Patch has put together a preliminary election guide covering everything from candidate profiles to information about where and when to vote.

Who's running

In the wide open District 7 City Council race, four candidates are vying to replace retiring Councilor Margareth Shepard. She was the first Brazilian-American elected to a City Council in the U.S., and represents a key area in Framingham that includes all of downtown north of Waverly Street.

While only District 7 residents will vote in that primary race, all Framingham voters will get to vote in the mayoral primary featuring incumbent Mayor Yvonne Spicer, former councilor and selectman Charlie Sisitsky and nonprofit founder Carlos Valadares.

Candidate profiles

Beginning in July, Patch asked each of the candidates running in the preliminary to answer candidate questionnaires. You can read each profile below with candidates listed in alphabetical order.

Framingham mayor

• Charlie Sisitsky
• Yvonne Spicer (i)
• Carlos Valadares

District 7

• Eugene Grzywna
• Joseph Hansberry
• Magda Janus
• Leora Mallach

Campaign cash

Preliminary elections aren't typically as cash-intensive as general elections, but looking at fundraising figures can give you an idea about how much support candidates have. Here's a look at how much money each candidate had available as of Aug. 31, and how much they have spent so far in 2021, according to state records.

Framingham mayor

• Charlie Sisitsky — $36,751.54; spent in 2021: $40,144.49
• Yvonne Spicer (i) — $52,836.28; spent in 2021: $29,526.85
• Carlos Valadares — $59.55; spent in 2021: $2,900.45

District 7

• Eugene Grzywna — $916.17; spent in 2021: $1,838.82
• Joseph Hansberry — $101.56; spent in 2021: $218.44
• Magda Janus — $0.19; spent in 2021: $409.81
• Leora Mallach — $1,705.65; spent in 2021: $919.01

Voting

All city residents will get to vote in the mayoral primary, but only District 7 residents will vote in the primary for that race. If you want to head to the polls on Sept. 14, you can find your polling place on the Framingham City Clerk website.

For voters who were able to get an absentee ballot before last week's deadline, there are several drop sites around the city. Voters will be able to return absentee ballots at the City Clerk's office, at two ballot drop boxes outside City Hall (150 Concord St.) and at the McAuliffe Branch Library (746 Water St.) or by regular mail.

On Monday, Secretary of State William Galvin warned absentee voters that it's now too late to mail in ballots. During a pre-election news conference, Galvin said ballots might take between three and five days when sent via mail. Galvin advised voters who requested an absentee ballot but did get one yet to try and vote in person on Tuesday.

Election results

Framingham 2021 preliminary election results will be available beginning Tuesday night after polls close. Framingham Patch will post them as soon as they are available. Sign up for email alerts here or like us on Facebook for the latest on local elections.