At the random drawing at City Hall Monday to determine the position of the Boston Mayoral Ballot, Michelle Wu’s name came out of the perforated bingo drum first and will appear on the top of the mayoral ballot in November with Annissa Essaibi George appearing second. Essaibi George was first on the ballot during the Preliminary Election that narrowed the field of mayoral candidates down to two.
The Board of Election Commission also randomly drew the order of the At-Large ballot for November with Dave Halbert getting the top spot on that ticket.
In September voters narrowed the crowded At-Large field down to 8 and the order on the ballot will be as follows:
David Halbert
Bridget M Nee-Walsh
Julia Mejia
Carla Monteiro
Ruthzee Louijeune
Althea Garrison
Michael Flaherty
Erin J. Murphy
Ballot Questions
The Boston General Election November ballot will also feature three ballot questions for Boston voters.
The first question will ask whether or not to reverse the decision in the 1990s to go from an elected Boston School Committee to an appointed School Committee.
“We’re the only city in the Commonwealth that does not have an elected school committee,” said District 1 City Councilor Lydia Edwards, who is running unopposed for her District 1 seat but has announced her candidacy for the First Suffolk & Middlesex state senate seat. “There’s also a ballot question that I introduced on the Boston Budget Process Amendment. It would allow the city council to engage back and forth with the mayor to check the mayor’s power on the $3.7 billion budget. It will give the council, just like every other legislative body, the ability to amend and to override the mayor’s veto. So it’s a huge shift in power, and it would be one that hasn’t happened since 1909.”
There’s also a non-binding ballot question regarding the proposed Eversource Substation in East Boston
The question to voters will read, “Should a high voltage, electric substation be built at 400 Condor Street in East Boston, along the Chelsea Creek, near homes, parks, playgrounds, jet fuel storage, and in a flood risk area rather than in a nearby alternative safe and secure location such as non-residential Massport land at Logan Airport?”
Councilor Edwards was supportive of the 10 Eastie residents who petitioned the City of Boston to put the question on the ballot this fall.
Historically, a non-binding ballot question provides information to elected officials and the public of voter sentiment on a particular issue.