LYNN — Doing her best impersonation of a bingo caller, Debra Ginivan pulled numbered ping pong balls from an antique ballot box Thursday before a large crowd.
The drawing, in the City Clerk’s office, wasn’t part of a parlor game. Instead, the event determined the ballot order for this fall’s city election.
Candidates or their representatives were on hand as the assistant city clerk announced the spot each would take on the ballot.
If being first has an advantage, Sen. Thomas McGee (D-Lynn), City Councilor-at-Large Brian LaPierre and School Committeewoman Donna Coppola should be celebrating. Each of them landed the coveted top position.
In the four contested ward races, Ward 1 City Councilor Wayne Lozzi and Ward 3 City Councilor Darren Cyr landed the number one spots; Richard Starbard was on top for the open seat in the Ward 2 council race; and Marven Hyppolite, challenger to Ward 5 City Councilor Dianna Chakoutis, captured the first position.
Elizabeth Rosario Gervacio, an immigration specialist for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) who will be listed third on ballot for School Committee, said she was glad to be in the top three.
“I’m told it makes a difference when you’re near the top,” she said.
John Ladd, who is seeking a Councilor-at-Large seat, didn’t react when Ginivan announced he will get the sixth of eight positions on the ballot.
“Number one is always nice,” said Ladd, president of Precision Property Brokers Inc. “But I’m not worried about where I’m placed on the ballot.”
At number nine, Michael Satterwhite, a School Committee candidate, will be near the bottom.
“It’s a place on the ballot and that’s key,” he said. “It’s good to be able to tell voters where they can find me.”
While state rules say ballot order should be determined by incumbency, meaning elected officials get the first spots, Lynn’s city charter requires ballot position be determined by lottery.
Research suggests there’s an advantage to being the first or last name printed on the ballot.
LaPierre agrees.
“I am so excited to be placed number one,” he said in a text message. “As I continue my campaign of listening, learning and leading, we are very happy with the response we are getting from Lynn residents.”
Here’s the order of names on the Sept. 12 ballot:
Mayor: Thomas M.McGee, Judith Flanagan Kennedy.
Councilor-at-Large: Brian LaPierre, Jaime Figueroa, Richard Ford, Hong Net, Taso Nikolakopoulos, John Ladd, Buzzy Barton, Brian Field.
School Committee: Donna Coppola, Brian Castellanos, Elizabeth Rosario Gervacio, Jared Nicholson, Lorraine Gately, John Ford Jr., Cherish Casey, Natasha Megie-Maddrey, Michael Satterwhite, Jessica Murphy.
Ward 1 Councilor: Wayne Lozzi, William O’Shea.
Ward 2 Councilor: Richard Starbard, Gina O’Toole, Peter Grocki, Christopher Magrane.
Ward 3 Councilor: Darren Cyr, George Meimeteas.
Ward 5 Councilor: Marven Hyppolite, Dianna Chakoutis.
