GAITHERSBURG — The members of Gaithersburg’s Board of Supervisors of Elections discussed the past and future of the city’s electoral processes at the City Council meeting Monday night. 

Mayor Jud Ashman and the City Council convened for a work session, during which City Attorney Lynn Board and Elections Clerk Lauren Klingler presented a “debrief” of last fall’s municipal election, outlining changes made to the city’s electoral process and proposals for future modifications.

ROCKVILLE — Rockville residents and area election officials had mostly positive things to say Monday as the Rockville City Council considered a proposal to ameliorate declining voter turnout in city elections by putting an end to in-person voting and implementing a vote-by-mail system for the city’s 2019 election, under which every registered voter in the City of Rockville would receive a ballot in the mail, which voters would return by Election Day. 

“It’s an experience I mourn the loss of, if I go in this direction,” said Rockville resident and former mayoral candidate Drew Powell, who said he favors the change to vote by mail. “It doesn’t mean I’m against the initiative, it’s just something I will miss.” 

The lone voice who spoke in opposition to the proposal was Rockville resident Brigitta Mulligan, who suggested that the proposal be put to a referendum rather than be decided on by the Council.

The City of Rockville is considering following the examples of Oregon, Washington state, and Colorado by moving to a vote-by-mail system for municipal elections.

“This is a wholesale change for the City,” said Council member Beryl Feinberg of the proposal for a vote-by-mail system, which was presented by Lois Neuman, who chairs the Rockville Board of Election Supervisors. 

If approved by the Mayor and Council, city residents would receive their ballot for the 2019 municipal election by mail, mark their ballot, place it in an envelope, sign an affidavit and mail their ballot in order to cast their vote.

GAITHERSBURG – The winners of last Tuesday’s municipal election were sworn into office Monday night as Gaithersburg’s Mayor Jud Ashman and City Council members Michael Sesma and Laurie-Anne Sayles took their oaths of office during a special session held in the council chambers.

After a representative of the Montgomery County Board of Election Supervisors presented the officially-certified results from last week’s election, Ashman, the winner of last week’s mayoral election, took the oath administered by Montgomery County Circuit Court Clerk Barbara Mieklejohn.

GAITHERSBURG — Shortly after 9:30 on Tuesday night, Gaithersburg’s Board of Supervisors of Elections announced the winners of the City’s election for Mayor and two members of the five-person City Council.

3,282 voters, or 9.29 percent of the city’s registered voters, cast ballots in the election, a slight decrease from the 2015 election, when voter turnout was 11.09 percent.

Mayor Jud Ashman and Council members Laurie-Anne Sayles and Michael A. Sesma will be sworn in at City Hall next Monday.

TAKOMA PARK – Candidates in the 2017 Takoma Park city election explained their views, priorities (and goals for the city) to voters in a forum Monday night at the City’s Community Center.

The forum included incumbents and challengers from all six of the city’s wards as well as Mayor Kate Stewart. City-based publication Takoma Voice hosted the forum.

Takoma Radio host and Takoma Voice editor Eric Bond gave each of the candidates approximately 15 minutes to respond to his questions. Candidates running for the same ward seat were given simultaneous time on the stage.

GAITHERSBURG – Sept. 22 marked the deadline for candidates to file in this fall’s election in Gaithersburg. On Sept. 26, the Board of Supervisors of Elections certified the candidacies of those who filed to run for Mayor and City Council. The election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Incumbent Mayor Jud Ashman is unopposed on the ballot. Ashman was originally appointed mayor following the election of longtime mayor Sidney Katz to District 3 of the Montgomery County Council; he won a special election to serve the remaining two years of Katz’ term in 2015. This fall, he is seeking his first full four-year term.