There is still time to get an absentee ballot to vote in Tuesday's election for Gaithersburg mayor and City Council.
Gaithersburg allows "no excuse" absentee voting, which means registered voters may request an absentee ballot without explanation. Pick up an absentee ballot application between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays through Tuesday at City Hall, 31 S. Summit Ave. return it to City Hall by 8 p.m. Tuesday.
City residents registered to vote in Montgomery County are automatically registered to vote in the city election. Voters choose a mayor and two city council members Tuesday. They serve four-year terms.
Mayor Sidney A. Katz, 59, who has served the city for 28 years and was appointed mayor in 1998, is seeking re-election and touting his experience. Richard Koch, 55, a Kentlands resident and regional real estate developer, has promised to be a more demanding mayor who will bring economic development.
Three men, two of them incumbents, are vying for the council. Henry F. Marraffa Jr., 71, a councilman for 15 years, and 56-year-old Michael A. Sesma, finishing his first term, are being challenged by Tom Rowse, 39, chairman the city's Olde Towne Advisory Committee.
A candidate must get 40 percent of the votes cast to win an election; in 2005, that meant 1,071 votes. The city had its highest voter turnout in 2007, when seven candidates ran for three council seats.
