The votes are in! Congratulations to the newly elected councilors for the 2012 North End/Waterfront Neighborhood Council! The NEWNC election was held on Saturday, May 19, 2012 from 10am-2pm at the Nazzaro Community Center. There were 6 candidates on the ballot running for 6 open seats and several write-ins, including a successful fourth place write-in campaign by Gennaro Riccio. Below are the final vote counts:
2012 NEWNC Vote Tally – 239 Total Ballots
(Top six candidates are elected to NEWNC)
1. 138 votes – Anne Devlin Tagliaferro,* 63 Atlantic Ave., #4
2. 137 votes – Marie Simboli,* 61 Prince Street
3. 133 votes – Toni Gilardi, 133 Fulton St.
4. 120 votes – Gennaro Riccio, 294 Hanover St. (write-in)
5. 103 votes – Ryan Kenny,* 10 Thacher Street, #309
6. 72 votes – John Pregmon 163 Endicott Street, #2
7. 18 votes – Allan Danley, 82 Commercial St.
8. 10 votes – Donna Freni (write-in)
9. 6 votes – Ralph Verrocchi (write-in)
10. 4 votes – Damien DiPaola (write-in)
11. 2 votes – John Ploud (write-in)
12. (tie) 1 vote – Paul Baker (write-in)
12. (tie) 1 vote – Susan Bigusiak (write-in)
12. (tie) 1 vote – Daniel D’Elia (write-in)
12. (tie) 1 vote – Robert Frasca (write-in)
12. (tie) 1 vote – E. Phan (write-in)
*Incumbent
The top six candidates will each serve a two-year term on the Neighborhood Council. A total of 239 North End / Waterfront residents voted in the 2012 election, compared to 203 last year, 288 in 2010 and 220 in 2009. Serving on this year’s election committee were councilors not up for re-election.
Filling out the 12-seat Neighborhood Council are previously elected residents with one more year left on their two-year terms including Philip Frattaroli, Bill Lane, David Marx, Jorge Mendoza, Stephen Passacantilli and Jonathan Sproul. Incumbents that did not run for re-election include President Donna Freni and Giancarlo Tiberi. The seat formerly occupied by the late Mario Alfano was also up for election this year.
The next NEWNC meeting is Monday, June 11, 2011, 7:00 pm at the Nazzaro Center 30 N. Bennet Street. NEWNC meetings are open to the public. More information at www.NEWNCBoston.org.
I tried, I followed the law, and rules and others did not!
The response was we follow the city rules of election to have the same write in ballots as the amount of spots to fill. However they did not follow the election rules to ensure it was conducted properly. Welcome to the High School popularity deal.
Well off to the next episode.
All write-in or sticker votes should include the correct name and address of the candidates. Courts have ruled that a vote should be counted whenever the intent of the voter can reasonably be determined, even if a voter omits the candidate’s address or makes a mistake in the name or address. In O’Brien v. Board of Election Commissioners, 257 Mass. 332, 338-339, 153 N.E. 553, 556 (1926) the court said “that if the intent of the voter can be determined with reasonable certainty from an inspection of the ballot, in the light of the generally known conditions attendant upon the election, effect must be given to that intent… The omission of the residence … on some ballots on which the name had been written by the voters rightly was found not to invalidate such votes.” Maiewski v. Board of Registrars of Voters, 347 Mass. 681, 199 N.E. 2d 680 (1964). This includes where a voter fails to complete the vote indicator next to the write-in space—the write-in or sticker vote will still be counted.
It is important for you to give clear instructions to voters about the office which you are seeking and where to place the sticker or write-in your name. Please note that write-in and sticker votes are counted for the office where the name is written or sticker placed. For example, if you are running as a sticker candidate for selectmen, but the voter places your sticker under school committee, you will receive a vote for school committee.
Please be aware that campaign materials, including stickers, cannot be distributed within 150 feet of the polling location. The 150-foot area includes the polling place, in the building where the polling place is located, on the walls thereof, on the premises on which the building stands, or within one hundred and fifty feet of the building entrance door to such polling place.
I guess change will have to wait until then the status quo will go on.
~Al
FELICITAZIONE John