The Lowell City Council met this past Tuesday, however, I’ll put off discussing most of that meeting until next Sunday so I can review the ballot for next month’s state election. But first, I will discuss the council’s decision to hold the special election to fill the vacant District 1 council seat on Tuesday, February 2, 2027.

The city’s director of elections, Will Rosenberry, presented councilors with a proposed schedule that was more aggressive than that ultimately adopted by councilors. Rosenberry proposed that the election be held on Tuesday, December 15, 2026, but that was rejected by councilors.

Before getting into the respective rationales for both dates, here’s what the law requires: The special election must be held not less than 64 days nor more than 120 days after the date on which the special election is called. “Calling” the election takes place when a majority of councilors sign a warrant setting the date. Assuming the warrant would be signed at the October 6, 2026, council meeting, 64 days after that would be Wednesday, December 9, 2026, – so the election would have to be after that – and 120 days after would be Wednesday, February 3, 2027 – so the election would have to be before that.

Rosenberry suggested the more aggressive schedule for at least two reasons. First, it would minimize the time during which District 1 would not be represented by its own district councilor; and second, it would facilitate voters requesting mail-in ballots in time for the election. Rosenberry explained that most who vote by mail submit a blanket ballot request that covers all elections held during that calendar year, so if the special election was held in December, most voters who already requested mail in ballots for the state election in November, would automatically get mail in ballots for the District 1 race. He chose the 15th of December because it was within the statutory date range and because the two following Tuesdays in December, the 22nd and the 29th, were too close to Christmas to realistically serve as election days.

Rosenberry went on to explain that if the election was to be held in 2027, voters desiring to cast their ballot by mail would have to submit a new ballot request for 2027, but that could not be done until January 1, 2027. If the special election were to be held in the first three weeks in January, there would not be enough time for voters to request a mail-in ballot, receive the ballot, and return the ballot.

Councilors pushed back against the early date. Their priority was to give potential candidates for the office more time to decide to run and launch their campaigns. They argued that a fast start of the election process would unfairly benefit experienced candidates who were already familiar with the system and would penalize those running for the first time who would have to figure things out as they went along. These councilors wanted the latest possible date, hence the February 2, 2027, election day.

Two more points about the special election. In last week’s newsletter, I speculated about the need for a special primary if there were more than two candidates for the office. I have since learned that since the special election statute is silent as to the number of candidates, all would run together in a single election with the top vote-getter being elected to fill the seat.

Last week I also reported that Ray Boutin and Rodney Elliott had announced their intentions to run. However, on Thursday, 8, 2026, the Lowell Sun reported that Rodney Elliott had decided not to run, then Inside Lowell reported that Zuhair Syed, a graduate of Lowell High and UMass Amherst who works as a community organizer working at the Merrimack Valley Project, has announced his intention to run for the seat.

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Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, I’ve voted by mail in every election. My ballot for this fall’s State Election arrived on Monday, so today I’ll review the candidates and questions that appear on it.

The ballot consists of four sheets of paper, each printed on both sides, so that’s eight pages of votes to cast. Here they are in the order they appear:

Senator in Congress

• Edward J. Markey of Malden – Democratic
• John Deaton of Bolton – Republican
• Shiva Ayyadurai of Belmont – Independent
• Joe Tache of Boston – Socialism and Liberation

Governor and Lieutenant Governor

• Healey and Driscoll – Democratic
• Minogue and Oliver – Republican
• James and Kittredge – Independent

Attorney General

• Andrea Joy Campbell of Dartmouth – Democratic
• Michael C. Walsh of Lynnfield – Republican

Secretary of State

• William Francis Galvin of Boston – Democratic
• Anne R. Brensley of Wayland – Republican

Treasurer

• Deborah B. Goldberg of Brookline – Democratic
• Elizabeth Dionne of Belmont – Republican

Auditor

• Diana DiZoglio of Methuen – Democratic
• Al Ozonoff of Medford – Republican

Representative in Congress

• Lori Loureiro Trahan of Westford – Democratic
• Gary J. Grossi of Acton – Republican
• Dennis R. Conlon of Hudson – Unenrolled

Councillor – Fifth District

• Eunice Delice Zeigler of Methuen – Democratic
• William Falcetano of Gloucester – Republican

Senator in General Court – First Middlesex District

• Vanna Howard of Lowell – Democratic
• Sam Meas of Lowell – Republican
• Joe Espinola of Dracut – Independent

Lowell is part of three separate state representative districts so your ballot will contain just one of the following three, depending on where you live.

Representative in General Court – Sixteenth Middlesex

• Lorena G. Betts of Chelmsford – Democratic
• Karla J. Miller of Lowell – Republican

Representative in General Court – Seventeenth Middlesex

• John Drinkwater of Lowell – Democratic

Representative in General Court – Eighteenth Middlesex

• Tara Hong of Lowell – Democratic

District Attorney – Northern District

• Marian T. Ryan of Belmont – Democratic

Register of Probate – Middlesex County

• Tara DeCristofaro of Medford – Democratic
• Tara Martorella of Everett – Republican

Next comes the office of Greater Lowell Technical High School Committee. That district consists of Lowell (4 members); Dracut (2 members); Tyngsborough (1 member); and Dunstable (1 member). Previously, each community voted for its own representatives, usually during the city or town election. However, because of the disparity of population and the principle of one person/one vote, that changed several years ago. Now, everyone in the district votes for every candidate, although candidates are grouped by their respective communities. This ensures that a resident of each community will be elected to the board, although that person would receive votes from everyone in the district. With that in mind, here’s how all Lowell ballots appear. Remember, even though you might live in Lowell, you may vote for candidates for the Dracut, Dunstable and Tyngsborough seats:

Regional School Committee – Dracut – vote for one

• Matthew J. Sheehan

Regional School Committee – Dunstable – vote for one

• No candidate

Regional School Committee – Lowell – vote for two

• Ralph Richard Hogan
• Brady Owen McCarron
• Anthony Robert Milisci

Regional School Committee – Tyngsborough – vote for one

• Carol Chisolm

BALLOT QUESTIONS – There are eight referendum questions on the ballot. Each may be answered Yes or No. One the ballot, none of the questions have a simple title that tells you in a short-hand way, what the question is about. Instead, there is a brief statement of what the question proposes to do followed by the consequences of a Yes vote or a No vote. Rather than repeat all of that, I’ll provide my one brief title with a short explanation or commentary if needed.

Question 1 – Public Records – A YES vote would apply the Public Records Law to the governor and legislature which under the current law are exempt. A NO vote would keep the system as is.

Question 2 – Public Defenders Unionization – YES would permit employees of the Committee for Public Council Services, the entity that represents indigent defendants in criminal proceedings, to form a union and collectively bargain, something current law prohibits. A NO vote would keep the system as is.

Question 3 – Combined Primary Elections – YES would eliminate separate party primaries and would have all candidates run together regardless of party in the primary election with the top two finishers advancing to the general election. A NO vote would keep the system as is.

Question 4 – Election Day Voter Registration – YES would allow a person to register to vote at the polling place on election day provided they present identification (including address) and sign a statement under oath that the information provided is accurate (with criminal penalties for false statements). A NO vote would keep the system as is, where registration must be done prior to the election. A NO vote would keep the current system.

Question 5 – Cap on State Revenue – YES would limit state revenue to the amount raised the prior year increased by the percentage wages increased in the prior three years with any excess being returned to taxpayers. NO would keep the current system.

Question 6 – Establish and Finance a “Nature for All Fund” – YES would divert 50% of existing sales and use taxes on sporting goods, RVs, and golf courses to a Nature for All Fund that would be used for natural conservation. NO would not create this fund.

Question 7 – Single family home minimum lot size – YES would allow a single-family home to be constructed on a lot at least 5,000 square feet in size that has 50 feet of road frontage and access to public sewer and water services. No would make no change to existing law.

Question 8 – Repeal legalization of marijuana – YES would repeal the law that made it legal to sell recreation marijuana. NO would leave that law intact.

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Thanks to everyone who attended last weekend’s Lowell Cemetery tours. Saturday’s tour drew 180 people and Sunday’s drew 120.

I’ll lead another Lowell Cemetery tour on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 10 a.m. as part of the Poe in Lowell Festival. The tour is free and begins inside the Knapp Avenue entrance to the cemetery (77 Knapp Ave).