MARION — Fewer than 500 of the town’s 4,363 registered votes had cast ballots in the town election as of 2 p.m.

That makes turnout less than 10 percent with six hours of voting remaining. Typical turnout for town elections is 12 to 15 percent, she said.

“It’s a little slow,’’ said Town Clerk Lissa Magauran. The 2 p.m. voter tally was 482. 

But voting tends to pick up after 3 p.m. , Magauran noted, when parents have picked up children from school and head to the polls.

From then until 7 p.m., activity tends to be on the increase, followed by a dropoff during the final hour of voting, she observed.

Polls will be open until 8 p.m. on May 18 at the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center on 456 Mill St. 

At the same time as the election, a food drive is underway  to support Community Center Food Pantry. Items needed for the food pantry include cat food, dog food, breakfast cereal, jelly, hearty soups, condiments, flour, sugar, tea, paper goods and toiletries. There is an area for drop off outside of the building.

The Sippican Week has profiled each of the contested races up for votes at the May 18, 2022 town election. Residents can view a sample ballot here.

Two candidates are seeking the select board seat vacated by John Waterman. Voters will select between Carleton “Toby’’ Burr and Edward Hoffer for the three-year position. Read their profiles here.

The only other contested race is for two seats on the Planning Board. Four candidates are in the running for three-year seats: Tucker Burr, Andrew Daniel, William Dale Jones and Barrett Levenson. Read their profiles here.

They are seeking posts currently held by Joe Rocha and William Saltonstall, who are not running for re-election.

The remaining candidates on the ballot are running unopposed, all for three-year terms. They are: Catherine Gibbs, assessor; Brad Gordon, moderator; Edward Hoffer, Board of Health; Nichole Daniel, Marion School Committee; April Nye, Old Rochester Regional High School; John Rockwell, Open Space Acquisition Commission.

Several races have no candidates and will rely on voters providing write-in names. These include Marion School Committee, one-year term; Open Space Acquisition Commission, one position for a three-year term and one for a one-year term.

The candidates discussed their ideas for the town at a candidate night. Click here for that coverage.

Voters will also be asked to pass a debt exclusion which will allow funding of an upgrade of Department of Public Works buildings. That vote must pass for the project, which received strong support at Monday’s Town Meeting, to move forward.