Nashua Election Guide 2019: Who's Running, Polling Locations

NASHUA, NH – Nashua voters will head to the polls on Nov. 5 with contested races for alderman, clerk, board of education, fire commission and board of public works. Residents will also vote on whether to allow a sports betting facility in the city.

The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Nashua's nine voting sites. Absentee ballots must be submitted by 5 p.m. Election Day. Polling locations for each ward are included below, while you can look up the location for your address here.

Who’s running?

While James W. Donchess is running in an uncontested race for mayor, the following races for alderman are contested:

Alderman at-large 4-year term:

Vote for no more than three (3)

• Benjamin M. Clemons
• Melbourne Moran Jr.
• Lori Wilshire
• Michael B. O’Brien, Sr.

Ward 1 alderman 2-year term

Vote for no more than one (1)

• Mark S. Cookson
• Jan Schmidt

Ward 2 alderman 2-year term

Vote for no more than (1)

• Kevin A. Avard
• Richard A. Dowd

Ward 3 alderman 2-year term

Vote for no more than one (1)

• Patricia Klee

Ward 4 alderman 2-year term

Vote for no more than one (1)

• Arthur T. Craffey, Jr.
• Thomas Lopez

Ward 5 alderman 2-year term

Vote for no more than one (1)

• Ernest Jette

Ward 6 alderman two-year term

Vote for no more than one (1)

• Kevin Scully
• Elizabeth Lu
• Joseph J. MacIntyre

Ward 7 alderman two-year term

Vote for no more than one (1)

• Drew Sullivan
• June M. Caron

Ward 8 alderman two-year term

Vote for no more than one (1)

• Dave MacLaughlin
• Skip Cleaver

Ward 9 alderman two-year term

Vote for no more than one (1)

• Linda Harriott-Gathright
• Bill Ohm

Board of Education 4-year term

Vote for no more than five (5)

• Paula Johnson
• Jennifer Bishop
• Jessica E. Brown
• Sharon M. Giglio
• Howard D. Coffman
• Doris Hohensee
• Greg Surbey
• Jamila Scales
• Burton H. Janz
• Sandra Ziehm
• Renata Olszewski

Fire Commission 4-year term

Vote for no more than three (3)

• Kevin Burgess
• Donald C. Davidson
• Thomas Stawasz
• Paul A. Garant
• Manuel Pimental

Board of Public Works 4-year term

Vote for no more than two (2)

• Shannon I. Schoneman
• Joel Ackerman
• Kevin S. Moriarty

Ballot questions:

QUESTION RELATING TO CHARTER AMENDMENT AS IT WILL APPEAR ON THE BALLOT:

If approved by the voters at the Nov. 5 regular municipal election, this charter amendment will be effective on that date.

• Shall the municipality approve the charter amendment summarized below? This amendment changes the way that vacancies on the Board of Aldermen, Board of Education, Board of Public Works, and Board of Fire Commissioners are to be filled until the next municipal election. Currently, if there are more than six (6) months remaining in an unexpired term that has been vacated, the vacancy is filled by a special election held after forty (40) days but before one hundred and eighty (180) days following the creation of the vacancy, or, if the regular election timing is appropriate, the vacancy can be filled by the non-incumbent candidate who receives the most votes at the regular municipal election for the next term of office which is then vacant. This charter amendment would instead require vacancies on the Board of Aldermen, Board of Education, Board of Public Works, and Board of Fire Commissioners to be filled until the next municipal election by majority vote of the remaining members of that board within sixty (60) days following the creation of the vacancy. The amendment further clarifies issues concerning vacancies caused by death or declination of office before inauguration and when persons elected to fill vacancies assume office.

QUESTION RELATING TO SPORTS BOOK RETAIL OPERATIONS:

RSA 287 I:6 requires that if the operation of sports retail book operations is to be allowed in a city or town that the question be put to voters of said city or town. If a majority of the voters vote "yes" on the question, sports book retail locations will be allowed in Nashua in accordance with other lawful requirements of the statutes and regulations.

Nashua Polling Locations

• Ward 1: Broad Street Elementary School, 390 Broad Street
• Ward 2: Charlotte Avenue Elementary School, 48 Charlotte Avenue
• Ward 3: Amherst Street Elementary School, 71 Amherst Street
• Ward 4: Ledge Street Elementary School, 139 Ledge Street
• Ward 5: Main Dunstable Elementary School, 20 Whitford Road
• Ward 6: Fairgrounds Middle School, 27 Cleveland Street
• Ward 7: Dr. Normand Crisp Elementary School, 50 Arlington Street
• Ward 8: Bicentennial Elementary School, 296 East Dunstable Road
• Ward 9: New Searles Elementary School, 39 Shady Lane