After a notably low-key campaign, it's no surprise that voter turnout today is down.
At high noon on Election Day two years ago, 14.9 percent of the city's registered voters had shown up to cast a ballot (4,689 voters in all).
This time around, just 12 percent took the time to vote before noon, for a total of 3,965 voters. That's about 700 less than during the hotly contested race in 2007 that propelled Democrat Art Ward into the mayor's seat.
"I wish more people would come out," said Bob Badal, the city's Democratic registrar. But for now, at least, he said the turnout is "slow."
There were two minor problems at the polls today, Badal said.
Officials had to replace the vote counting machine at O'Connell School shortly before polls opened at 6 a.m. That change didn't have an impact on voters, Badal said.
But another machine, at Stafford School, also failed. It wasn't replaced until about 6:30 a.m., which meant that about 20 ballot had to be placed in an auxiliary bin to be counted later.
Badal said ballots from the auxiliary bin are put into the machine at a slow time later in the day by the moderator, with both a Democratic and a Republican representative watching to ensure the process is done properly.
Badal said ballots from the auxiliary bin are put into the machine at a slow time later in the day by the moderator, with both a Democratic and a Republican representative watching to ensure the process is done properly.
Two years ago, 36.3 percent of the city's registered voters showed up for the mayoral race. In 2005, 38.4 percent turned out to vote.
It looks like this year, it may be tough to get even a third of the voters to bother unless things pick up sharply.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
9 comments:
I Hope Ward and his union buds are gone.
Slow day for a bunch of slow-peds (Democrats).
PEOPLE ARE DISCUSTED WITH POLITICS.
and typo's
I crossed part lines and voted for all new candidates today. Nobody in office now got my vote this time. It probably won't do much good because of the low turn out, but like they say, don't complain if you don't vote.
then don't complain if you don't like what happens because you didn't vote. that's the point of voting ... to make change if that's what you want or to keep the status quo. either way the system does work, but if you can't get off your duff and vote, then don't say a word if something happens that you don't like!!!
all new candidates? Are you insane? Do you realize if those new candidates had all won, the city would be in terrible shape? They wouldn't know how to do anything! There are many committees and meetings and procedural issues and things that are already in the works that none of them would have had a clue about. You would have voted in people to run the city that wouldn't be able to run the city and we'd be back a square one!!! No thinking going on in this city, that's for sure, when it comes to voting!!!
Unconstitutional, I know, but if we took away a person's right to vote if they fail to show up at the polls we'd get ALOT more folks voting. To say you don't vote because you're disgusted with politics or don't "like" any of the candidates is weak. Research your candidates and make a decision. It's your right AND your duty as a citizen. The voter turnout is indicative of what kind of city we are becoming. We should be ashamed of ourselves.
Steve,
How a bout a breakdown tof he past 4 local election: Dem, Repub. Unaff.
Also, district breakdown would be interesting too.
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