Toomey, Serino, Moutsoulas Face Off in Ward 3 Primary

For the second time in two years, East End voters will hit the polls later this month for a primary election to decide the top two candidates for the Ward 3 seat on the Peabody City Council.

Former councilors Bill Toomey and Jim Moutsoulas are vying for the seat along with Tom Serino, who unsuccessfully challenged retiring councilor Rico Mello in 2011.

Both Toomey, 80, and Moutsoulas, 68, held the Ward 3 seat during their tenures on the council. Toomey also served at-large and spent 26 years in total on the council while Moutsoulas had 13.

Moutsoulas also ran for state representative earlier this year, but never made it on the ballot due to a technicality.

Serino, 64, has never held elected office in Peabody.

The primary election is set for Sept. 17. Polls are open from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. at all three precincts in Ward 3 -- residents in Precinct 1 and 2 vote at Our Lady of Fatima (50 Walsh Ave.) while Precinct 3 votes at the Wilson Terrace Community Hall (15A Wilson Ter.).

For anyone unable to make it to their polling site the day of, absentee ballots can be picked up at the City Clerk's office until noon on Sept. 16 or via the Secretary of State's website.

The deadline was Aug. 28 to register to vote in the primary if you were not already registered.

If you have questions, call the City Clerk's office at 978-538-5756.