Gorham voters will receive two ballots when they go to the polls on November 3, when they vote absentee, or when they vote at the Municipal Center before Election Day.
On one side of the state ballot are candidates for State Senator, State Representative, and Cumberland County positions. Ward 1-1 and Ward 1-2 voters will choose between Kyle R. Bailey and Roger E. Dinsmore, III for State Representative. In Ward 2 voters will vote for Maureen F. Terry, or George L. Vercelli. All Gorham voters will choose between Stacy Fielding Brenner and Sara L. Rivard for District 30 State Senator. In all races there are spaces on the ballot to write in candidates, but only votes for declared write-in candidates will be counted.
Candidates for President, U.S. Senator, and District I Congressional Representative are on the reverse side of the state ballot. While these contests will be determined by ranked choice voting, voters do not have to rank their choices. If there is only one candidate they want for a specific position, mark only that candidate as the first choice. There will be places for voters to rank as many choices as there are candidates for that position. There are clear instructions for ranked choice voting printed on the ballot.
In addition to the race for U.S. President, voters can choose between four candidates for U.S. Senator: Susan M. Collins, Sara I. Gideon, Max Patrick Linn, and Lisa Savage. Candidates running for Congressional Representative are Jay T. Allen and Chellie M. Pingree.
The other ballot is a local ballot with candidates for Gorham Town Council and Gorham School Committee, as well as a referendum question authorizing the town to borrow up to $5,689,000 for capital improvements to the public schools and authorizing an amendment to the Gorham Town Charter.
Running for Town Council are Christina Paul, Suzanne E. Phillips, and Ronald W. Shepard. Voters will choose no more than two candidates for these three-year terms. Four candidates are running for three positions on the School Committee. They are James Brockman, Nicole D. Hudson, Sarah B. Perkins, and Leah Sturm. There is space for write-ins, but only votes for declared write-in candidates will be counted.
On the reverse side of the ballot, Question 1 lists the capital improvements that the bonds will fund if authorized. Question 2 clarifies the qualifications of office for a Town Council member. If passed, no one currently employed by the Town or Gorham School District would be eligible to serve on the Council. The Town Council voted 7-0 to place these questions on the ballot.
Gorham residents can register to vote at the Municipal Center during regular business hours and at their designated polling place on November 3 by showing a photo ID and proof of a Gorham address. Registered voters may request an absentee ballot by calling the Town Clerk’s office or by visiting the State election website. If a voter has received an absentee ballot, the completed ballot may be mailed or dropped off at the outside drop box at the Municipal Center, but it must be received by Election Day to be counted. Absentee voting will take place at the Municipal Center from October 19 through October 30.
On November 3, residents living in Ward 1-1 vote at the Gorham Middle School; Ward 1-2 residents vote at Great Falls School; and Ward 2 residents vote at Gorham High School; Ward boundaries can be found on the Town of Gorham website. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.