What you need to know to vote in Bangor’s local elections

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4, and Bangor voters will have the chance to vote in two local races: City Council and School Committee.

Here’s what you need to know to cast your ballot in the Queen City this year.

Where do I go to vote?

All Bangor voters are assigned the same Election Day polling place: the Cross Insurance Center at 515 Main St. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Can I register to vote on Election Day?

Yes. Maine allows same-day voter registration at your polling place. If you’re not yet registered to vote, or if you recently moved to Bangor, you can register when you go to the Cross Insurance Center on Tuesday. Bring proof of residence at your address, such as an ID or a utility bill.

Who’s running for City Council?

Bangor has a crowded field of nine candidates running for three open seats on the City Council. Candidates are listed below in the order they appear on the ballot.

The Bangor Daily News has profiled each candidate in the weeks leading up to the election — you can read those stories here. You can also click here to see, in video form, where each candidate stands on key issues facing the city, including public safety, municipal spending, homelessness and the affordable housing crisis.

Daniel Carson, a labor organizer and former banker, said he’s running to make Bangor more affordable for the working class. He wants the city to invest in public services by building more affordable housing and increasing shelter space for homeless residents. A registered Democrat, Carson has also served in leadership roles for the Communist Party of Maine and Food AND Medicine, a Brewer-based nonprofit focused on addressing the root causes of poverty.

James Gallagher owns the Salty Brick Market and Bangin’ Whoopie, both located downtown. The local business owner has become known for his “Hey Bangor, we have a problem” campaign, which he started after sprinkler system damage from an upstairs fire temporarily shut down his market last year. He’s unenrolled in a political party and said he hopes to address crime issues downtown and start a city-run homeless shelter.

Angela Walker is the peer services coordinator for the Bangor Area Recovery Network. She’s in recovery herself from addiction and was incarcerated after being convicted of manslaughter in 2003 — experiences she’s said would help her be a voice on the council for the city’s most vulnerable residents amid intersecting homelessness and addiction crises. Walker is unenrolled in a political party and also named cleaning up public spaces and improving public transit as priorities.

Justin Cartier, a carpenter, said he wants to lower taxes and use his personal experience with addiction recovery to help Bangor address its biggest issues. He’s prompted numerous conspiracy theories, including claims that 5G causes COVID-19 and that Jewish people control politics and society, on social media. Cartier is not enrolled in a political party, although he previously ran unsuccessfully for a Maine House seat as a Republican.

Reese Perkins is a retired business owner who previously owned a home inspection business. He currently chairs Bangor’s Planning Board and has also served on the Board of Appeals and the Historic Preservation Commission. He’s said he wants to increase housing in the city and that he supports the housing-first model, which prioritizes getting homeless people into shelter as the first step toward improving their quality of life. He is unenrolled in a political party.

Steven Farren, who owns a business that offers plumbing, heating and remodeling services, has said he was motivated to run for City Council following his months-long debate with the Historic Preservation Commission over his choice to replace his home’s aging slate roof with asphalt. Unenrolled in a political party, Farren has said he’d like to reduce spending and run the city more like a business.

Richard Ward is unemployed and known for promoting white supremacy and neo-Nazism, including by displaying Adolf Hitler’s face and the white supremacist “1488” symbol on clothes and signage. He’s said he thinks the city could divert more funding to help homeless residents by ending support for LGBTQ+ pride celebrations. Ward is unenrolled in a political party and ran unsuccessfully for Portland City Council in 2022.

Susan Faloon works as a media liaison for the Maine Public Utilities Commission. She named addressing homelessness as her top priority if elected and said she wants to increase housing through a combination of city-run projects and encouraging private development. She’s also said she believes her communications background will help her improve the relationships Bangor’s councilors have with the public and with each other during a tumultuous time. Faloon is a registered Democrat.

Colleen O’Neal previously worked in emergency management and now serves as a case manager for the Penobscot Nation. She’s said she wants to reduce spending by cutting back on services for the homeless. She named crime as her top priority, saying she doesn’t think downtown Bangor is a safe place. A registered Republican, O’Neal made an unsuccessful bid for a Maine House seat last year.

Who’s running for School Committee?

Four first-time candidates are running for two open seats on Bangor’s School Committee. Candidates are listed below in the order they appear on the ballot.

You can read more about the School Committee candidates here.

Frank Casella works in construction and has a child in first grade in the Bangor school system. He has shared opinions on social media criticizing various minority groups and calling people names like “whore” and “stupid commie retard.” He named improving math and science scores and integrating technological advances like AI into school curricula as his top priorities. Casella is a registered Republican.

Mallory Cook is the director of training and early educator engagement at the Maine Education Association and has a child in first grade in the Bangor school system. She previously worked as a teacher for 10 years and said she’s running to represent educator voices and increase professional development for school staff. Cook, a Democrat, has also spoken about being targeted over a book display created by students in Hermon High School’s Gay-Straight Alliance when she served as its advisor.

Laura Otis has three children in the Bangor school system and was previously a social worker for people dealing with homelessness and mental illness. She said she was driven to run for School Committee to advocate for neurodivergent students and incorporate more outdoor and experiential learning into school curricula. Otis has worked to design and secure funding for school gardens in Bangor. She is a registered Democrat.

Benjamin Speed works in public relations at Northern Light Health and holds an adjunct teaching position at Husson University’s communications school. He has a child who attends Bangor High School. Speed, a Democrat, said he’d prioritize opportunities in the arts and career and technical education if elected, drawing on his previous experience as a technical education teacher in Ellsworth.