The election for the Randolph Se­lectboard this March is shaping up to be an extremely lively contest, as three of the five seats on the board are up for election, and all are likely to be contested elections.

Only Stephen Webster and Jon Kaplan will automatically continue on the board.

Town Clerk Joyce Mazzucco said several potential candidates have come to the town offices for candi­date petitions, either for themselves or others.

In order to be on the Town Meet­ing ballot, candidates must file com­pleted petitions by 5 p.m. Monday.

Three current selectmen are run­ning for reëlection.

Chairman Frank Reed is seeking election to a three-year term, and Dennis Brown will seek the one year remaining on the three-year seat formerly held by Larry Townsend. (When Townsend resigned a year ago, Reed was appointed to fill his seat until the next election.)

Larry Richburg, a former board chair, seeks reëlection to his two- year term.

Only Reed had filed a completed petition as of Tuesday, the town clerk said.

All three incumbents are expect­ed to be challenged by opponents who were supportive of former Town Manager Gary Champy and strongly objected to his recent dis­missal in a contract buy-out.

Dwight Porter, who narrowly lost to Kaplan at last year’s Town Meet­ing, has been advertising his own candidacy for months on WCVR radio.

Also taking out a petition is James Sault, who assisted Porter in his campaign last year and who is employed by Porter at his music box company.

Prominently mentioned as a can­didate also is Robert Orleck. For­mer Selectman Joe Voci and Nan Gwin also asked for election peti­tions, but not necessarily for them­selves, Mazzucco said. Gwin ran for the office of lister last year, but lost to Don Sweetser.

Australian ballot polling takes place all day on Town Meeting Day, Tuesday, March 6.