Across the city, from Penacook to the South End, races for half of the neighborhood-specific seats on the city council this year are uncontested — but there are still citywide races and ballot questions for residents of those areas to vote on.
Below is a rundown of the candidates and issues on ballots across Concord.
More information about each of these races and questions is available at our Concord Votes homepage.
Citywide races
Every voter in Concord will be asked to choose a candidate for mayor and at-large city council representatives.
Community organizer Kate West is contesting first-term mayor Byron Champlin. Learn more here and here.
Five people, two incumbents and three challengers are running for two citywide seats on the city council. Uniquely, these races are for four-year terms. Learn more here and here.
School board
The Concord Board of Education divides the city into three “zones,” each made up of multiple city wards. There is a contested race to represent one of these zones and a write-in campaign for another zone. The third is uncontested.
In Zone B, incumbent Cara Meeker, a parent and policy professional, is being challenged by Jeff Wells, a resident who has been deeply critical of the board and how it has handled the middle school project. Zone B includes wards five, six and seven, or most of west Concord and the South End. Click here to learn more.
In Zone C, Alexander Dubois, a special education teacher in Derry, is the only candidate on the ballot. Aaron Thompson, a former Concord teacher, launched a write-in campaign after he was found ineligible to file during the allotted period because he was not previously registered to vote in Concord. Thompson is now eligible to hold office if elected. Zone C includes wards eight, nine and ten, or nearly all of the city east of the Merrimack River. Click here to learn more.
Ballot Questions
There are three ballot questions in most of the city, though only two if you live in the Merrimack Valley School District.
The first revolves around the Keno. State lawmakers changed the program this year from “opt-in” to “opt-out.” Concord has declined Keno before. To maintain that, voters would vote “yes,” affirming that they don’t want Keno. If Concord is ready for a change, voters would vote “no.” Double check that you’re voting for what you want; the language is a little counterintuitive. Click here to learn more.
A second question will ask whether residents want to allow the city to create social districts, which are limited areas where alcoholic beverages from participating businesses can be consumed outside. Voting “yes” on this question won’t automatically enact such areas in the city. If the question passes, the city council will be in charge of deciding where, when and under what rules these areas can operate. Social districts are subject to the state liquor laws around age and overservice. Voting “no” means the voter isn’t open to social districts under any circumstances at this time. If the question fails, it could be reconsidered in a future election. Click here to learn more.
Concord School District constituents will be asked whether the school board should be allowed to sell the Eastman School, located in East Concord. The board has said the sale could help pay for the new middle school, but new changes to the district’s governance structure mean it needs voter permission before it can sell. Click here to learn more.
