For the first time since 1997, Gloucester's sitting mayor does not have an opponent on the ballot in a local general election.

In some years, serial contender Daniel Ruberti, who has run unsuccessfully in 19 consecutive campaigns, has provided an option on the ballot for anyone who wanted to lodge a "protest vote."

But this year, because Councilor Sharon George dropped out of the mayoral race at the beginning of October after eliminating Ruberti in the preliminary, the space next to the incumbent's name is blank.

And so those unhappy with Mayor Carolyn Kirk's job performance in the past two years looking to protest can only come up with the name of someone to serve as a write-in candidate or to leave the mayor line blank.

This has been a popular option in the past when candidates have run unopposed.

According to retired City Clerk Bob Whynott — who is now running for at-large city councilor — some uncontested races have had as many as 30 percent of ballots cast as blanks.

In 1997, then-Mayor Bruce Tobey had no opponent in the city election. Tobey received 3,688 of the more than 5,000 residents that voted that November. But blanks amounted to 1,556, or 29 percent of the vote.

For Kirk, who has never been content with simply retaining her office this year, the blank total is her opponent and she acknowledged Friday she will be keeping an eye on it.

"I am anxious to know what the vote is," Kirk said. "I would like a majority vote — over 50 percent. That is the minimum bar."

The conventional wisdom would suggest that the short ballot and low turnout expected tomorrow would keep the blank totals down on the theory that those who do go to the polls are among the more serious voters.

In addition to leaving particular ballot lines blank, voters unhappy with their options can always write in candidates, including Ruberti. In some elections, cartoon or movie characters draw votes — and in Gloucester, years ago, a German shepherd from Magnolia became popular.

Whynott predicted a turnout of as many as 6,000 voters, with between 4,000 and 5,000 voters the low end for elections in the event of bad weather and or general voter apathy. The September primary drew a paltry 2,351 voters to the polls, but the three-candidate race for mayor — among Kirk, George and Ruberti — was the only one on the ballot.

Kirk, of course, is not the only candidate running unopposed tomorrow.

There will be two new city councilors this year joining the both council without a fight: Greg Verga in Ward 5 and Paul McGeary in Ward 1.

Verga, a realtor by trade, is the sitting School Committee chairman and has said he wants to broaden the scope of his public service on the council.

Verga was gearing up for a race with current Ward 5 councilor Phil Devlin when Devlin dropped out because of increasing responsibilities in his day job. Devlin's name will still appear on the ballot, according to the city clerk's office, because he did not formally notify the city of his withdrawal in time for his name to removed. But he pulled out of his re-election bid at the end of August.

Verga presided over the School Committee during a period of budget cuts and high-drama political issues like charter school approval and the pregnancy pact emergency. He leaves on a high note as the state's school building agency has invited Gloucester to begin the process of planning a new elementary school with state aid in Ward 5.

McGeary, 59, has worked in newspapers, including the Times, and recently left a management position with the Boston Globe.

He is running unopposed because current Ward 1 Councilor Jason Grow is now running for one of the at-large council seats.

McGeary has called working for school funding a core issue.

The other two candidates running unopposed are incumbent Ward 4 Councilor Jackie Hardy and Ward 3 Councilor Steve Curcuru.

The ballot also includes a referendum asking residents if they want to pull the police chief's position out from under the umbrella of Civil Service regulations; a "yes" vote would remove the chief's position from Civil Service, a "no" vote would keep the chief's position under Civil Service protections.

The ballot includes contested races for the Ward 2 council seat, with Ann Frontiero Mulcahey and Roger Hussey squaring off in a battle to succeed 34-year councilor John "Gus" Foote, who is not seeking re-election. Five candidates are seeking four seats in the councilor-at-large race, while seven candidates are seeking six seats in the race for School Committee.

Polls tomorrow will be open from 7 a.m. through 8 p.m.

There is one polling place change this year from prior years. Voters in Ward 4, Precinct 2 will vote at the Lanesville Community Center, rather than at Plum Cove School. The change took effect for the first time in the September primary.

Patrick Anderson can be reached at panderson@gloucestertimes.com

c_