Select Board remains lone contested March race as ballot deadline passes

This year’s local election ballot is set. After last month’s Town Caucus, there are no new candidates.

Candidates who didn’t secure a ballot line at the caucus had until February 10 to submit nomination papers with signatures from 50 registered voters.

Local contractor John Grace was the only person to take out papers to potentially establish himself as a candidate in the Select Board and School Committee races outside the caucus process. Town Clerk Kaari Mai Tari confirmed Grace didn’t return the paperwork. 

Hopefuls can still mount a write-in or sticker campaign, but as far as the official ballot goes, the Select Board offers the only contested race this year as Dean Banfield and Sam Hiersteiner vie for the seat held by Mark Howell.

Also on the ballot, running unopposed:

• Drew Magliozzi, for an open School Committee seat.
• Karlen Reed, in her bid to succeed outgoing Town Moderator Carmin Reiss.
• Housing Authority Chair Stephan Bader, the lone incumbent seeking reelection this year.

Banfield announced his candidacy for the Select Board in advance. Hiersteiner surprised some town politicos with his caucus-night entry and told The Acton Bridge that his campaign had “come together relatively quickly.”

Local organizations hosted a larger-than-usual slate of candidate forums last year. Many of those events are being held again this spring.

The League of Women Voters will host its annual session on March 15 at 2 p.m. at the Town House. 

The Council on Aging will host candidates on March 19 at 1 p.m. at the Harvey Wheeler Community Center, COA Director Daniel Petitt said. The Climate Action Network is inviting office-seekers to its monthly breakfast on March 17 at 8 a.m. at First Parish church, and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission will run a forum on March 26 at the Town House, according to panel Chair Rose Cratsley.

The Acton Business Partnership is also planning a candidate event, but hadn’t finalized details as of February 12.

This year, election day is March 31. The voter registration deadline is March 20 at 5 p.m.