As interest in the city election rises, I find that many people are unfamiliar with our system of wards and precincts. Even for those long involved in local politics, the status and whereabouts of each precinct might be a bit fuzzy. The following guide, though lengthy, might be of assistance.

For election purposes, the city of Lowell is divided into eleven wards. Each ward is divided into three precincts. The current precinct boundaries were set in 2011 as a result of the 2010 Federal Census. The precincts must be evenly divided based on population with each containing approximately 3,228 residents with a margin of error of plus or minus 5% (between 3,067 and 3,389 people). The number of registered voters within each precincts varies considerably based on a number of factors such as percentage of children, non-citizens, and non-participants in the political process. (The city has a map showing the precinct boundaries on its website).

Each precinct is listed below. The first line shows the total number of people (“Population”) living within that precinct’s boundaries; the number of those people who are registered to vote (“Registered”), the percentage of the total who are registered (“%-Reg”); and the average age of voters (“Age”). The second line describes the approximate boundaries -either streets, rivers or bordering towns – presented in the form of a box starting at the north (the top if looking at a map) and then going clockwise. The third line lists a couple of streets and landmarks within the precinct to give readers an approximate location within the city. The fourth line is the polling place for that precinct.

Ward 1 (Belvidere)

Ward 1, Precinct 1 – Population – 3117; Registered – 1540; %-Reg – 49%; Age – 46.
1-1 Boundary – Merrimack River x Daniels St x Andover St x Concord River
Includes Fayette St, Stackpole St, parts of High and Nesmith, Saints Medical Center, Lowell Auditorium
Polling Place: Firehouse on High St

Ward 1, Precinct 2 – Population – 3091; Registered – 2435; %-Reg – 79%; Age – 52.
1-2 Boundary – Merrimack River x Tewksbury x Luce/Hovey/Douglas x Wentworth/Daniels St
Includes Trull Ln, Burnham Rd, Remington, Douglas, Clark Rd, Long Meadow, Sullivan School
Polling Place: Reilly School on Douglas Rd

Ward 1, Precinct 3 – Population – 3096; Registered – 2285; %-Reg – 74%; Age – 50
1-3 Boundary – Andover x Tewksbury line x Rogers x Nesmith
Includes Fairmount, Mansur, Wentworth, parts of Butnam & Douglas. Cawley Stadium
Polling Place: Reilly School on Douglas Rd

Ward 2 (Downtown/Acre)

Ward 2, Precinct 1 – Population – 3373; Registered – 1221; %-Reg – 36%; Age 33
2-1 Boundary – Merrimack River x Cabot x Salem x Merrimack River
Includes upper Merrimack & Moody, UML’s Fox Hall, University Crossing (St Joseph’s Hospital), LeLacheur Park
Polling Place: NEW – Tsongas Center on Martin Luther King Jr Way (formerly Masonic Center on Arcand Drive)

Ward 2, Precinct 2 – Population – 3342; Registered – 1760; %-Reg – 53%; Age 49
2-2 Boundary – Merrimack River x Kirk/Dutton x Fletcher x Cabot
Includes Moody St, Salem St, Riverplace Towers, Tsongas Arena, North Common Village
Polling Place: NEW – Tsongas Center on Martin Luther King Jr Way (formerly Masonic Center on Arcand Drive)

Ward 2, Precinct 3 – Population – 3081; Registered – 1944; %-Reg – 63%; Age 47
2-3 Boundary – Merrimack River x Concord River x Warren/Jackson x Dutton/Kirk
Includes Market St, downtown businesses and condominiums, Lowell High
Polling Place: NEW – Tsongas Center on Martin Luther King Jr Way (formerly Masonic Center on Arcand Drive)

Ward 3 (Middlesex Village/Highlands)

Ward 3, Precinct 1 – Population – 3171; Registered – 1518; %-Reg – 48%; Age 45
3-1 Boundary – Merrimack River x Harvard St x Princeton Blvd x North Chelmsford
Includes Middlesex St, Burnside, Webber, Hadley, Wood. Humane Society to Rourke Bridge
Polling Place: Bailey School on Campbell Dr

Ward 3, Precinct 2 – Population – 3187; Registered – 1390; %-Reg – 44%; Age 42
3-2 Boundary – Broadway x Walker x Princeton Blvd x Harvard St
Includes parts of Middlesex, Wilder, UML South Campus, city DPW HQ
Polling Place: Bailey School on Campbell Dr

Ward 3, Precinct 3 – Population – 3125; Registered – 1422; %-Reg – 46%; Age 45
3-3 Boundary – Princeton Blvd x School St x Liberty/Pine x Gibson
Includes Cupples Sq west to Tyler Park
Polling Place: Morey School on Pine St

Ward 4 (Highlands)

Ward 4, Precinct 1 – Population – 3369; Registered – 1730; %-Reg – 51%; Age 44
4-1 Boundary – Pine/Liberty x School/Powell x Parker x Stevens
Includes Shaw, Wilder, Puffer, Morey, A, B, C, St Margarets, Callery Park
Polling Place: Morey School on Pine St

Ward 4, Precinct 2 – Population – 3081; Registered – 1279; %-Reg – 42%; Age 42
4-2 Boundary – Westford x Gates x Chelmsford x Powell/School
Includes Smith, Bellevue, part of Liberty
Polling Place: VFW on Plain St

Ward 4, Precinct 3 – Population – 3082; Registered – 1629; %-Reg – 53%; Age 46
4-3 Boundary – Jackson St x Central St x Lowell Connector x Chelmsford St
Includes Lincoln Sq, Gallagher Terminal, South Common
Polling Place: Rogers School on Highland St

Ward 5 (Centralville/Pawtucketville)

Ward 5, Precinct 1 – Population – 3361; Registered – 1618; %-Reg – 48%; Age 45
5-1 Boundary – Dracut line x University Ave x Riverside St x Mammoth Rd
Includes 4th, 5th, 6th Ave, Dracut St, St Jeanne D’Arc Church
Polling Places: McAvinnue School on Mammoth Rd

Ward 5, Precinct 2 – Population – 3310; Registered – 1433; %-Reg – 43%; Age 44
5-2 Boundary – Martin St x West Sixth x Bridge St/Merrimack River x University Ave
Includes UML North Campus, Dom Polski & Centralville Social Clubs
Polling Place: Polish American Veterans Hall on Coburn St

Ward 5, Precinct 3 – Population – 3374; Registered – 1833; %-Reg – 54%; Age 47
5-3 Boundary – Dracut line x Hildreth St x West Sixth St x Dracut St
Includes Lafayette, Orleans, Aiken, Lakeview, St. Louis School
Polling Place: Greenhalge School on Ennell St

Ward 6 (Pawtucketville)

Ward 6, Precinct 1 – Population – 3380; Registered – 1960; %-Reg – 58%; Age 49
6-1 Boundary – Dracut line x Mammoth Rd x Merrimack River x West Meadow Rd
Includes Varnum, Dunbar, Chase, Lowell General Hospital
Polling Place: McAvinnue School on Mammoth Rd

Ward 6, Precinct 2 – Population – 3301; Registered – 2073; %-Reg – 63%; Age 48
6-2 Boundary – Dracut line x West Meadow Road x Merrimack River x Old Ferry Rd
Includes Townsend, Varnum, Laurie Ln, Acropolis Dr, Wang School, Elks Club
Polling Place: NEW Pawtucketville Memorial School on West Meadow Rd (formerly Wang School on West Meadow Rd)

Ward 6, Precinct 3 – Population – 3324; Registered – 1924; %-Reg – 58%; Age 49
6-3 Boundary – Dracut line x Totman/Old Ferry x Merrimack River x Tyngsboro line
Includes Varnum Ave, Trotting Park Rd, Freda Ln, D’Youville Manor, State Forest
Polling Place: Elks Club on Old Ferry Rd

Ward 7 (Acre)

Ward 7, Precinct 1 – Population – 3341; Registered – 1416; %-Reg – 42%; Age 46
7-1 Boundary – Merrimack River x Fletcher St x Broadway x Humane Society
Includes Wilder, Walker, Wannalancit, Pawtucket, UML South Campus, Bartlett School
Polling Place: Senior Center on Broadway

Ward 7, Precinct 2 – Population – 3300; Registered – 1516; %-Reg – 46%; Age 41
7-2 Boundary – Bowers St x Fletcher St x Western Ave x School St
Includes Cross, Mt. Vernon, Willie. From Textile Museum to Stoklosa School
Polling Place: Senior Center on Broadway

Ward 7, Precinct 3 – Population – 3158; Registered – 1243; %-Reg – 39%; Age 42
7-3 Boundary – Broadway/Western Ave x Fletcher x Westford x Walker
Includes Branch, Middlesex, Pevey, School, Clemente Park, Pailin Plaza
Polling Place: Senior Center on Broadway

Ward 8 (Highlands)

Ward 8, Precinct 1 – Population – 3354; Registered – 1504; %-Reg – 45%; Age 45
8-1 Boundary – Princeton Blvd x Gibson St x Pine/Westford/Stedman x Drum Hill
Includes Wood St, Montview, Rutland, Georgia Ave, Tyler Park
Polling Place: Firehouse at Pine & Stevens

Ward 8, Precinct 2 – Population – 3305; Registered – 1815; %-Reg – 55%; Age 46
8-2 Boundary – Parker St x Lowell Connector x Chelmsford line x Steven St
Includes Chelmsford, Jenness, Viola, Avenue C, Lowell Catholic, Cross Point, Lowe’s
Polling Place: Daley School on Fleming St

Ward 8, Precinct 3 – Population – 3124; Registered – 2162; %-Reg – 69%; Age 50
8-3 Boundary – Pine/Westford x Stevens x Rte 3 x Stedman St
Includes Wedge, Lincoln Pkwy, Sanders, Staples, Mt Pleasant Golf Club
Polling Place: Daley School on Fleming St

Ward 9 (Centralville)

Ward 9, Precinct 1 – Population – 3326; Registered – 1684; %-Reg – 51%; Age 45
9-1 Boundary – Dracut line x Bridge St x West Sixth St x Ennell/Hildreth
Includes Eusis, Billings, part of Aiken, Greenhalge School, McPherson Playground
Polling Place: Polish American Veterans Hall on Coburn St

Ward 9, Precinct 2 – Population – 3317; Registered – 1941; %-Reg – 59%; Age 47
9-2 Boundary: Dracut line x Dracut line x Eleventh St x Bridge St
Includes Beacon, Humphrey, Willard, Methuen, Gage Field
Polling Place: Robinson School on June St

Ward 9, Precinct 3 – Population – 3334; Registered – 1726; %-Reg – 52%; Age 45
9-3 Boundary: Tenth St x Dracut line x Merrimack River x Bridge St
Includes Llewellyn, Fremont, Third St, Christian Hill, Reservoir
Polling Place: Robinson School on June St

Ward 10 (Ayer’s City/Back Central)

Ward 10, Precinct 1 – Population – 3109; Registered – 1590; %-Reg – 51%; Age 46
10-1 Boundary: Lowell Connector x Gorham St x Chelmsford line x Lowell Connector
Includes Boston Rd, Swan St, Main St, Lincoln St, London St, St Patrick’s and Edson Cemeteries, Tanner St
Polling Place: VFW on Plain St

Ward 10, Precinct 2 – Population – 3087; Registered – 1170; %-Reg – 38%; Age 45
10-2 Boundary: Central St x Concord River x Moore St x Gorham St
Includes Lawrence St, Crosby, Prince Spaghetti, Cavaleiro’s Restaurant
Polling Place: Firehouse on Lawrence St

Ward 10, Precinct 3 – Population – 3074; Registered – 1160; %-Reg – 38%; Age 44
10-3 Boundary: Warren St x Concord River x Central St x Gorham St
Includes Lawrence St, Church St, Chapel St, Elm St, Superior Courthouse, St Anthony’s Church, the Whipple
Polling Place: St Anthony’s Parish Hall on Central St

Ward 11 (Belvidere/South Lowell)

Ward 11, Precinct 1 – Population – 3120; Registered – 1551; %-Reg – 50%; Age 44
11-1 Boundary: Moore St x Concord River x Rte 495 x Gorham St
Includes Lundberg, Weed, Meadowcroft, Butler School, Sacred Heart Church, Swede Village
Polling Place: Shaughnessy School on Gorham St

Ward 11, Precinct 2 – Population – 3267; Registered – 1780; %-Reg – 54%; Age 47
11-2 Boundary: Lawrence St x Boylston St x Tewksbury line x Concord River
Includes Billerica St, Chamberlain St, Delmont Ave, Knickerbocker Club, Bunting Club
Polling Place: J.G. Pyne School on Boylston St

Ward 11, Precinct 3 – Population – 3138; Registered – 1703; %-Reg – 54%; Age 47
11-3 Boundary: Sherman St x Nesmith/Rogers St x Tewksbury line/Boylston/Lawrence x Concord River
Includes Phoenix Ave, Hanks St, Hoyt Ave, Perry St, Lowell Cemetery, Fort Hill, Shedd Park
Polling Place: J.G. Pyne School on Boylston St

Thanks for reading to the end. If you’d like an easier-to-read PDF version of this, send me an email at DickHoweJr@gmail.com and I’ll send it to you as soon as possible. I also welcome suggestions, either by email or by comment, for better boundary or landmark descriptions.