Town Election 2025 – Election Day was a mixed bag: a poor voter turnout of 18.5 percent of registered voters, but a lot of new faces participating in local politics – and achieving success

By Mark E. Vogler

Civic-minded Saugonians were hoping that a surge of interest among newcomers running for townwide office might lead to a better turnout this year than what Saugus has been experiencing in the last several town elections. But the unofficial results of voter turnout released by the Town Clerk’s Office show that 850 fewer residents voted in Tuesday’s (Nov. 4) Town Election than the one held two years ago. The voter turnout rate was better for the 2023 town election – 23.45 percent – than it was for this year – 18.5 percent.

“I do think voter turnout was pretty low which is a bit disappointing,” Selectman Jeffrey Cicolini said this week. “But it is what it is.”

Yet, there’s a lot of optimism about the large number of new candidates who got involved in this election:

• Fourteen newcomers got elected to Town Meeting – the 50-member legislative branch of Saugus Town Government while nine incumbent members lost their seats.
• Three newcomers got elected to the School Committee (including a member who served previously).
• The race to fill the vacant seat left by longtime Housing Authority member William Stewart drew a field of three candidates who never served on the Authority before, including a candidate who ran unsuccessfully for the seat previously.
• Four incumbent selectmen who had served with outgoing board member Corinne Riley for six years will serve another two-year term together. Precinct 7 Town Meeting member Frank V. Federico made a huge impression during his debut in townwide politics. He finished a comfortable fourth place to join the four incumbent selectmen. The race attracted four other challengers.

“An important takeaway from this election for me is that so many new candidates took initiative to run for elected offices,” former Selectman Riley said this week.

“It was encouraging to see so many new names with new ideas and energy on the ballot. So to those who ran, and didn’t make it this election, keep involved, volunteer where you can, submit your letters of interest when openings on committees and boards open up,” she said. “There is much you can do outside the elected positions in our town. Best of luck to everyone and make Saugus even a better place!”