WORCESTER, Mass. - The list of candidates who will be on the ballot in Worcester's local election this year has been finalized. Nomination papers were due Tuesday for city council and school committee. 

City clerk Niko Vangjeli said there will be preliminary elections in several city council districts, including 1, 2, 4 and 5. Worcester will also have its first preliminary election for school committee, for district E.

Vangjeli said he's seeing more contested districts seats for city council this year than in the past.

"At large this year, it was certainly slower than last time," Vangjeli said. "In previous elections we had a lot more at large candidates. I think this year we had 11 with 1 pending certification, so maybe 12 , so there will not be a preliminary for at large. But we are seeing district city council seats more contested than in the past elections, I think last election we barely had a primary other than for a few open seats."

This is the first election for school committee by district, so Vangjeli said it will require a lot of voter education since school committee districts are not the same as city council. His office will be sending out a mailing to voters in the next few weeks.