Quincy election guide: The candidates, the debates and how you can vote

QUINCY − Election season is upon us, and Quincy residents will have a number of choices to make at the polls this year.

At the top of the ballot, incumbent and Quincy's longest-serving mayor, Thomas Koch, is running for his seventh consecutive term. He'll be challenged by Councilor-at-Large and former Quincy School Committee member Anne Mahoney. She made unsuccessful bids to unseat Koch in 2011 and 2015.

The winner will serve a four-year term through 2027.

This year, three candidates will challenge sitting ward councilors. In Ward 2, attorney and life-long Ward 2 resident Richard Ash is running against incumbent Anthony Andronico, who was born and raised in Quincy and joined the council in January 2021.

Matthew Lyons is running against James Devine in Ward 4. Devine, the newest member of the council, was seated in early February after prevailing in a special election to fill the seat vacated by Brian Palmucci, who was named a District Court judge by then-Gov. Charlie Baker.

Ward 6 Councilor Bill Harris faces challenger Deborah Riley. Harris was appointed by the city council to the Ward 6 seat in 2016 after the death of the previous councilor, Brian McNamee. Riley, a local real estate agent, is making her first bid for public office.

There will be at least two new faces on the council next year.

Daniel Minton is running unopposed to replace retiring Ward 5 Councilor Chuck Phelan. Scott Campbell will take the councilor-at-large seat left by Mahoney, who cannot run for the council and the mayor's office simultaneously. City councilors serve two-year terms.

Incumbents Noel DiBona and Nina Liang are running unopposed for two of the three councilor-at-large seats. David McCarthy and Ian Cain are running unopposed for the Ward 1 and Ward 3 seats, respectively.

For the school committee, six candidates are vying for three open seats. Incumbents Frank Santoro, Paul Bregoli and Kathryn Hubley will be challenged by Liberty Schaaf, Vincent Tran and Courtney Perdios. Elected committee members serve four-year terms.

When and how to watch Quincy mayoral candidates debate on QATV

Quincy Access Television will host two debates for the mayoral race to be shown live on television and streamed live at www.qatv.org. The first, scheduled for Monday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m., takes place inside Quincy Access Television studios and is closed to the public.

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In the first debate, to be moderated by "AM Quincy" host Joe Catalano, Koch and Mahoney will respond to a round of three questions submitted by Quincy residents. They will then ask each other a question before a second round of resident-submitted questions.

Residents can submit questions by visiting Quincy Access TV's website and following the prompts, or by mailing them to Mayoral Debate Questions, c/o Quincy Access Television, 88 Washington St., Quincy, MA 02169.

What to know about the Quincy mayoral candidates debate at Quincy High School

A second debate is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. at Quincy High School and will be open to the public.

A three-person panel representing Quincy Access TV (Joe Catalano), The Patriot Ledger (Peter Blandino) and The Quincy Sun (Scott Jackson) will ask one question each. As in the first debate, the candidates will then ask each other a question, followed by another round of questions from the panel.

"QATV has always tried to provide information for residents when it comes to Election Day," said Executive Director Jonathon Caliri. "We hope the debates will inform residents and give them a better idea of who they are going to be choosing for mayor."

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Quincy Climate Action to host candidates night

In addition to the two debates, Quincy Climate Action Network will host a candidates night Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. at the Church of the Presidents in Quincy Center. Free and open to the public, the event will feature Koch, Mahoney and city council candidates discussing environmental issues and climate change.

Topics will include building codes for net-zero construction, climate goals and action plans, protection of natural resources and transportation, according to a Quincy Climate Action Plan news release. The event will be made available for viewing by Quincy Access TV on Oct. 5.

When is the voter registration deadline?

Quincy voters will have until Saturday, Oct. 28, at 5 p.m. to register for this year's election, which will be held Tuesday, Nov. 7.

What to know about the dates for early voting, mail-in voting and absentee ballots

Early voting will begin Oct. 28 at 8:30 a.m. at city hall and continue through Friday, Nov. 3.

Voters have until Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 5 p.m. to apply for a mail-in ballot. Applications can be turned in to the election office at city hall, 1305 Hancock St., or submitted online.

The last day to apply for absentee ballots is Monday, Nov. 6, the day before the election. Instructions on how to fill out and submit the application can be found here.

When are polls open in Quincy for the 2023 election

Polls will be open between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. across the city on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7. A list of precincts and polling places can be found here.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Quincy voters guide: Early voting, polling hours, candidate debates