Petitioning candidate wins a seat on the BOS

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Unlike other offices, when running for First Selectman, state statute provides the losing candidates with the opportunity to join the pool of candidates running for Board of Selectmen.  Each voter is allowed to cast one vote for the First Selectman but can only cast two votes for Board of Selectmen, even though there are four openings. The explanation for this is found in state statute.
All candidates for First Selectman who do not win are added to the pool of candidates running for Selectmen. The entire board of selectmen is up for election every two years. The Granby Town Charter mentions in Chapter 2, Section 2 that minority rules apply to all of our elective boards as stated in State Statute 9-167a. The statute that specifically applies to the Selectmen race is as follows.

Sec. 9-188. First selectman and selectmen. Election procedure. Dual candidacy prohibited. Minority representation; restricted voting. Tie vote. Unless otherwise provided by law each town shall, at its regular municipal election, elect a first selectman, who shall be town agent unless otherwise provided by law, and two other selectmen or, in the case of any town having a population of 10,000 or more, not more than six other selectmen. The selectmen so elected shall constitute the board of selectmen for such town. Unless otherwise provided by special act, charter or ordinance the votes cast, including any valid write-in votes, for an unsuccessful candidate for first selectman shall be counted as votes for him as a member of such board, provided no elector may be a candidate for both the office of first selectman and that of selectman by virtue of nomination by a major or minor party or a nominating petition or registration of write-in candidacy, or any combination thereof. The provisions of section 9-167a shall apply to the election of selectmen, except that when the total membership of such board is five, the maximum number who may be members of the same political party shall be three, and provided that for the purpose of determining minority representation, the total membership of such board shall be deemed to include the first selectman, unless otherwise provided by special act or charter. Unless otherwise provided by special act, charter or ordinance, an elector shall not vote for more candidates for the office of selectman than a political party can elect pursuant to section 9-167a, provided that the number of such candidates that an elector can vote for shall be deemed to include the first selectman. If the electors fail to elect a first selectman at any election by reason of an equality of votes, such election for the office of first selectman and the election for selectmen shall stand adjourned and such adjourned election shall be held as provided in section 9-332. The ballots used in such adjourned election shall contain only the names of the candidates for the offices of first selectman and selectman which appeared on the ballot used in the election at which the tie vote resulted for the office of first selectman.