Marion has by far the most contested races of any of the three towns this year, with four contested positions to be decided at its June 26 election. 

Voters will choose between multiple candidates for Selectmen, Planning Board, Assessors and two write in school committee members on June 26 at the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

For the Board of Selectmen, incumbent Selectman Norman Hills is running for re-election, opposed by Joe Zora, a lifelong Marion resident. Hills enjoys the current dynamic on the board and feels that he knows town issues well. Zora calls for the town to be more transparent and takes issue with ballooning Town Meeting budgets. 

Profiles for the two Selectmen candidates can be found here. 

There are three spots open on the Planning Board, and four candidates. Incumbent members Eileen Marum, Hills and Christopher Collings are all running for spots, as is Zora. A fourth candidate, Edwin (Ted) North appears on the ballot, but has ended his campaign due to coronavirus uncertainty. 

Profiles for all of the Planning Board candidates can be found here. 

Former town employee and retired Assessor Patricia DeCosta is running for the Board of Assessors in another contested race, and is also opposed by Zora.

DeCosta would lean on her knowledge of the process to ensure that assessments are done fairly and on time. Zora takes issue with the way the assessors treated him in a case involving Camp Hadley, and is campaigning for more transparency. 

The two profiles for the assessors can be found here. 

No one pulled papers and collected signatures for the two Marion School Committee seats that are open, but two candidates have subsequently announced write-in campaigns for the position. 

Dannie Engwert announced her campaign in a letter to the editor, as did Jody Dickerson, the town’s director of recreation and former selectman. Read his letter here. 

Each voter is asked to bring their a black pen, mask, and gloves to vote. 

Social distancing will limit the number of voters in the building to 10 at one time, and voting booths will be separated and cleaned after each use.

The town has also sent out absentee ballots and encourages voters to use them. Questions or concerns about early voting, voting applications or ballots can be directed to Town Clerk Lissa Magauran at 508-748-3502 or LMagauran@MarionMA.gov.