New Video Hopes to Encourage Windham Voter Turnout

WINDHAM, NH - A new Facebook site and video has been created in an effort to encourage more voter turnout in the March 8, 2016, town and school elections.

Windham NH Votes, a new Facebook site, launched last week in an effort to increase participation in the town election, which tend to be sleepier affairs, even in active communities in New Hampshire.

As an example: In Windham earlier this month, more than 65 percent of the town’s nearly 9,900 registered voters participated in the recent presidential primary. At last year’s town election though, more than 3,200 ballots were cast, only about a third of the town’s registered voters.

This year’s election features numerous competitive races.

Three candidates are competing for a single school board seat: Incumbent Dennis Senibaldi as well as two challengers – Eileen Mashimo and Matthew George Rounds.

A $38.95 million bond for an addition and renovation to the Golden Brook School is being proposed along with a $4.2 million multipurpose athletic facility. Three-fifths of the vote is required for passage.

Other proposals include $800,000 for land acquisition of the school renovation fails, a collective bargaining agreement with the Windham Education Association, $685,000 for capital needs, and a $48.6 million school budget.

On the town side, there are competitive races for Board of Selectmen – Gabriel Toubia facing off against Jennifer Simmons, for one seat; Planning Board – Kristi St. Laurent, Stephen Mavrellis, and Ruth-Ellen Post, competing for two seats; and Supervisor of the Checklist – Mary Griffin and Roy Dennehy, for one seat.

The town ballot also includes more than 16 questions including proposals for a $13.5 million operating budget.

There is also a zoning ballot with numerous amendments for an open space residential subdivision overlay district, a market square overlay district, a demolition delay ordinance, and a number of other proposals.

ALSO READ:

• School Voters Guide
• School sample ballot
• Town zoning articles
• Town sample ballot
• Default town budget
• Final town warrant