Four Candidates Are Running for Three Portland City Council Seats

Portland residents will go to the voting booth at City Hall, , on Tuesday, November 5th, to select three candidates to serve on the City Council. Registered voters can also vote absentee ballot through November 4th. Portland residents who are not registered to vote can register to vote on-line by Monday October 21st at www.expressSOS.com or in person at the Portland City Clerk’s office up at 259 Kent Street up to and on the day of the election. The City Clerk’s office will be open on Saturday, November 2nd and Sunday, November 3rd, from 8:00 AM-Noon, to register voters and to provide absentee ballots on request. Nikki Miller, Portland City Clerk, reports that as of this morning 293 absentee ballots have been issued and 169 have been returned. Returned absentee ballots will not be opened until election day.

This year’s candidates for City Council include Jim Barnes, who has served on the Council since 1999 and has been Portland’s Mayor since 2003; Joel VanSlambrouck, who has served on the Council since 2007; and Erica Sheehan and Tom SaintAmour who are both first time office seekers. Each voter will be allowed to select up to three candidates on their ballot. The top two vote getters will earn three-year Council seats and the third vote getter will earn a two-year Council seat.

The Portland City Council is non-partisan. Candidates are not designated by political party on the ballot or on the City Council. All elected Council members are also At-Large and represent the entire city as a Council member. Following the election, and after the votes are certified, the five Council members select a Mayor from among the current elected Council members.

The Portland Beacon has conducted extensive interviews with each of the four candidates and will publish profiles of each candidate next week. Learn what each candidate thinks about Governance, Civility, Infrastructure, Economic Development, Public Safety, the 1% City Income Tax as well as what current and future issues most need to be addressed by the City. Look for these profiles and more in next week’s Portland Beacon.