HAWLEY — Despite a nearly empty election ballot, the town has incumbents willing to serve on town boards — but residents must write-in their names.
The annual election takes place on Monday, May 7. The polls at Town Office will be open that day from 11:45 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Robert MacLean is not seeking re-election to a three-year term on the Selectboard/Board of Health, but Sarah Rich is on the ballot for that seat, running unopposed.
Also, Henry Eggert is stepping down from the Board of Assessors this year. However, former assessor Eugene LaValley is willing to serve the three-year term, as a write-in candidate.
Incumbent Suzanne Crawford is on the ballot for re-election to a three-year term on the Mohawk Trail Regional School District Committee. A second, vacant seat for Mohawk representative remains open.
Rich and Crawford are the only two names on this year’s election ballot.
But other open seats with incumbents who are willing to serve with write-in votes include:
Auditor, one-year term, Carla Clark); Moderator, one-year term, Kirby “Lark” Thwing; and Hawlemont Regional School Committee, three-year term, Courtney Ann Hoyt.
In 2010, Hawley (population 337) had an election ballot with no candidates on it, because no one had submitted nomination papers with at least 25 voters’ signatures on them.
With no gathering places — no post office, library, school or coffee shop within town boundaries, candidates have to drive from house to house in the winter to get signatures. The town election ballot without a single candidate garnered statewide attention, but in the end, seven out of eight positions on the ballot were filled by write-in candidates.