AMHERST – With a number of contested races and a contentious ballot question, Amherst’s town clerk anticipates a good turnout for the Nov. 2 election.

The ballot features a full slate of municipal offices in 2021 – district and at-large town councilor, School Committee, Jones Library trustee, Housing Authority and Oliver Smith will elector.

Residents will also weigh in on a referendum on whether the town should borrow $36.3 million in order to renovate and expand Jones Library. Organizations in favor of and opposing the measure have already been formed.

“Local elections tend not to draw the same kind of turnout as state or presidential elections, but especially the ballot question is going to impact turnout. With that ballot question, we could see similar to the last primary election,” Town Clerk Susan Audette told Reminder Publishing.

The turnout for the Sept. 1, 2020, state primary election was 42.9 percent. The presidential primary on March 3, 2020, drew 45.8 percent. In contrast, the previous town election on Nov. 5, 2019, had 13.7 percent.

Audette admitted the projection is a bit of guesswork as the election has historical significance for the town. Since changing its form of government in 2018, Amherst has conducted two other elections in its current form – the first elected town councilors while the second filled other town positions such as School Committee. This will mark the first time all positions are decided on at once.

“This is only the third time we have done this kind of election, so we don’t have a history; it’s all new,”?Audette said.

Also expected to assist with voter turnout is the return of early voting and mail-in voting options. Early voting will take place Oct. 25 to 29 with polls open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 25 to 27 and also on Oct. 29. On Oct. 28, there will be extended hours from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting will take place in the first-floor meeting room at Town Hall.

Saying it offers flexibility for working residents and additional safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, Audette said the September and November 2020 elections saw roughly 200 early voters a day.

Mail-in voting will be available through Dec. 15.

Candidates had until Sept. 14 to submit nomination papers. Contested races for Town, Council include at-large seats as well as Districts 2, 3 and 4. All council terms are for two years.

Six candidates are running for three at-large seats – incumbents Mandi Jo Hanneke and Andrew Steinberg are running for re-election against challengers Viraphanh Douangmany Cage, Robert Greeney, Elisha Walker and Vincent O’Connor. Walker had also submitted nomination papers for District 5 councilor by the Sept. 15 deadline but has since withdrawn them.

Each district has two positions up for grabs.

Current Council President Lynn Greisemer and Patricia Se Angelis are running for re-election against challenger Mazimiliano Fetta Alaghband for District 2 councilor. Greisemer submitted certified nomination papers for councilor at-large as well, but later withdrew them.

For District 3, councilors George E. Ryan and Dorothy Pam are seeking another term against challenger Jennifer Lynn Taub, and in District 4, incumbent Evan Ross will face Anika Lopes and Pamela Rooney.

Incumbent Cathy Schoen and Michele Miller are running unopposed in District 1 while incumbent Shalini Bahl-Milne and Ana Devlin Gauthier will not face competition in District 5.

School Committee, Housing Authority and Oliver Smith will elector races are also all contested.

For School Committee, Peter Demling, Heather Lord, Benjamin Herrington, Allison McDonald, Irvin Rhodes, Phoebe Merriam, and Jennifer Page are running for five, two-year terms.

Housing Authority has three open two-year terms with incumbent Commissioners David Williams, Michael Burkhart and Nancy Schroeder and challenger Jessica Mix Barrington rounding out the field.

Sarah Marshall and Carol Gray will vie for the position of elector of the Oliver Smith Will.

Candidates have until Sept. 30 by 5 p.m. to withdraw from the election. Residents also have the same deadline to object to a candidate’s nomination,

The Town Clerk’s Office will draw names for placement on the ballot on Oct. 1 in accordance with the charter.

The last day to register to vote in this election is Oct. 13.