Marblehead Election 2020: Three Contested Races On Ballot

MARBLEHEAD, MA — Incumbent selectmen Jackie Belf-Becker, Harry Christensen, Moses Grader, Judy Jacobi and Jim Nye will be joined by two challengers when Marblhead voters head to the polls on June 16.

Jim Zisson, who was on a Marblhead school building committee, and conservation commission member David Glen DePew have also returned nomination papers to run for selectmen. It's the first contested race for selectmen since 2017, when Bret Murphy did not run for reelection and Grader beat John Liming for the vacant seat.

So far, Marblehead has not taken advantage of a state coronavirus crisis order allowing towns with spring elections to move them to on or before June 30. Selectmen did, however, push town meeting back to June 29 and reduced the quorum to 10 percent. The town will also scale back the warrant to focus solely on budget items.

State election officials are encouraging voters to request mail-in ballots and, if they do go to the polls on election day, to bring their own black or blue ink pen.

In the other contested races, Emily Barron, Catherine Martin and incumbents Jennifer Schaeffner and Sarah Gould are running for the two school committee seats that are up for reelection. Incumbent light commissioner Michael Tumulty is being challenged by Lisa Wolf, who placed third when she ran against incumbents Michael Hull and Walter Homan last year.

Polls open at 7 a.m. on June 16 and close at 8 p.m. Precinct 1 votes at the Old Town House (1 Market Square), Precincts 2 and 3 vote at the Masonic Hall (62 Pleasant Street) and Precincts 4, 5 and 6 vote at the Marblehead Community Center (10 Humphrey Street).