Somerville Election 2021: Candidate Profiles, Where To Vote, More

SOMERVILLE, MA — The 2021 municipal election will be held Nov. 2 in Somerville. There are citywide races for mayor and councilor at-large, as well as elections for city council and school committee in certain wards.

Somerville voters will elect a new mayor for the first time in nearly 20 years after longtime mayor Joseph Curtatone opted not to run for re-election.

Somerville Patch sent out a questionnaire to all candidates in contested races and published profiles for those who submitted answers. Those profiles are linked below.

Here's what you need to know if you're headed to the polls on Election Day.

Who's running?

The following races are contested.

Mayor

• Katjana Ballantyne
• Will Mbah

City Councilor At-Large

• Kristen Strezo (candidate for re-election)
• Willie Burnley Jr.
• Virginia Hussey
• Charlotte Kelly
• Justin Klekota
• Tracey Leah Pratt
• Eve Seitchik
• Jake Wilson

Ward 2

City Council

• JT Scott (candidate for re-election)
• Stephenson Aman

Ward 3

School Committee

• Sarah Phillips (candidate for re-election)
• Daniel O'Connell

Ward 5

City Council

• Tessa Bridge
• Beatriz Gómez Mouakad

Ward 7

City Council

• Becca Miller
• Judy Pineda Neufeld

School Committee

• Sara Dion
• Greg Nadeau

How to vote

Early voting in the city council chambers at City Hall closes at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 29.

Mail-in voting

To vote by mail, you need to:

1. Complete a Vote by Mail Application;
2. Deliver your application to the Elections Department. Applications can be mailed to 93 Highland Ave, Somerville MA 02143, or placed in a ballot drop box. Applications may also be submitted by fax (617) 625-5643 or email, as long as your signature is visible;
3. Vote when your ballot arrives;
4. Return your ballot.

There are several options for voters to return their vote-by-mail ballot application or ballot:

• Drop boxes: Voters can use one of the drop boxes located around the city to return their application or ballot. Drop boxes are located at:
  • City Hall concourse, 93 Highland Ave.
  • East Somerville Community School, across from 68 Glen St.
  • In front of the Argenziano School, 290 Washington St.
  • In front of the Somerville Community Baptist Church at 31 College Ave.
  • In front of the West Somerville Neighborhood School at 177 Powder House Blvd.
• City Hall drop-off: Voters can return applications or ballots directly to the Elections Department in City Hall, 93 Highland Ave. Please remember that face coverings are required in all City buildings.
• Mail: Voters can return applications and ballots by sending them to the Elections Department, 93 Highland Ave., Somerville, MA 02143. Make sure to leave plenty of time for mail to reach the Elections Department before the deadline.
• Email or fax (for applications only): Completed vote-by-mail ballot applications can be emailed to vote@somervillema.gov or faxed to 617-625-5643. Ballots cannot be returned by email or fax.

Eligible voters who submit valid applications to vote by mail will receive their election ballot in the mail. Ballots must be completed, signed, sealed, and received by the city no later than 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Voters can check the status of their ballot at bit.ly/MABallotTrack2021.

In-person voting

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Three of Somerville's polling places were relocated for this election cycle. All other polling locations will remain the same as they were last year. The new polling locations are as follows:

• Ward 3 Precinct 1
• New Location: A room in Properzi Manor, 13-25 Warren Ave.
• Former Location: Central Library, 79 Highland Ave.
• Ward 6 Precinct 3
• New Location: A room in the West Branch Library, 40 College Ave.
• Former Location: West Somerville Neighborhood School, 177 Powder House Blvd.
• Ward 7 Precinct 3
• New Location: A room in the VNA Assisted Living Facility, 405 Alewife Brook Parkway
• Former Location: West Somerville Neighborhood School, 177 Powder House Blvd.

You can look up your polling location by visiting www.somervillema.gov/mysomerville and entering your address. You can also call 311 for assistance.

Election results

Somerville's 2021 municipal election results will be available beginning Tuesday night after polls close. Somerville Patch will post them as soon as they are available. Sign up for email alerts here or like us on Facebook for the latest on local elections.