Ellen Begley and Michael Schneider were elected to the Board of Selectmen Tuesday in a six-way race for two open seats on the board.

In the election's only other contested race, 19-year-old Joseph Ashley defeated former Moderator John Donahue in the race for Deputy Moderator.

Begley, the top vote-getter with 1,022 votes, and Schneider, with 879, are co-founders of citizens group Move Wareham Forward and ran as an informal team. (Move Wareham Forward later registered as a political action committee.)

Trailing their tallies were political newcomer Jennifer Petersen with 790 votes, three-time candidate Frank DeFelice with 680, Finance Committee Chairman Donna Bronk with 468, and former Selectman John Cronan, with 323.

The two seats were left open by the decisions of incumbent Selectmen Jane Donahue and Brenda Eckstrom to not seek re-election.

Both incumbents actively supported Begley and Schneider.

"I'm excited to get to work," said Begley, a nurse by profession. She was the top vote-getter in all but two precincts - and came in second in those. "I think people believe in our platform: transparency, accountability, integrity."

Begley and Schneider both attended Tuesday's Board of Selectmen meeting, which lasted more than two hours, before meeting their supporters to celebrate at Hong Kong Island, where they were sworn in by Town Clerk Mary Ann Silva.

"I'm thrilled. I can't wait to get started," said Schneider, who owns a transportation company. "I'm very thankful for the opportunity and to the voters."

Just over 2,200 of the town's more than 15,000 voters cast ballots, for a 15% voter turnout.

That is in sharp contrast to last year's 26% turnout for an election in which voters ousted incumbents in races for the Board of Selectmen and Moderator Donahue. But it is in line with previous years, when turnouts fell in the 7-15% range.

Ashley won all six precincts in the Deputy Moderator race, gathering a total of 1,198 votes to Donahue's 849.

"I'm happy the voters of Wareham chose me," Ashley said. "I feel excited. Honestly, it hasn't sunk in yet."

Check out the map below for election results by precinct. More of this story appears below the map.

Though disappointed with the results, Cronan said he was glad he threw his hat into the ring. "I gave it a good run. The whole [campaign] committee was me and my wife," he said. "It's difficult to come in last, but at least I tried."

Bronk noted she was happy she'll be able to continue to serve the town in her role as Finance Committee member.

"I wish [Begley and Schneider] the best," she said. "It's a thankless job."

Keeping with the tenor of his campaign, DeFelice was blunt.

"Wareham lost. I didn't," DeFelice said. "If [voters] want what they got in there, six months from now we'll see if that's the best. ... Good luck to the Town of Wareham."

Runner-up Petersen said she enjoyed the race. "It was a great experience," she said. "I found the candidates to be very cordial. ... It was an amicable race."

In the uncontested races, Kenneth Fontes and Cliff Sylvia retained their seats on the School Committee. James McCahill will remain on the Board of Assessors, while newcomer David Smith will begin work for that board, taking the seat of Dorothy Vicino, who did not seek re-election. Steven Coughlin ran unopposed for re-election to the position of Constable.

The ballot also contained 11 ballot questions, each asking voters to weigh in on changes to the Town Charter which were approved during October Town Meeting. All were overwhelmingly approved.

Among the changes, a new seven-member, non-elected Board of Road Commissioners will be formed to review public ways and create traffic regulations. Additionally, the town will elect a new Sewer Commission to oversee sewer business. Both of those responsibilities will be removed from the duties of the Board of Selectmen.