Showing posts with label Election Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Election Day. Show all posts
November 5, 2013
Election results... by the numbers
November 2, 2010
Turnout down sharply in Bristol
Four years ago, during the U.S. Senate race that installed Joe Lieberman in the Senate as an independent, 44 percent of the city's electorate had cast a ballot by 5 p.m.
Today, with a whole range of hot races on the ballot, just 40 percent of the city's registered voters had shown up by 5 p.m.
A 10 percent drop since the last midterm election is a pretty sharp decline and makes it virtually certain that Bristol will come nowhere near the 60 percent turnout that Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz predicted statewide.
What it means, however, is less certain.
In general, insiders said that Republicans appear to be hyped up to vote this time around so they are perhaps more likely to turn out.
Democrats and independents may be sitting this one out, turned off by negative advertising and disgusted by the failure of both parties to fix the economy in the wake of 2008's financial collapse.
Polling across the country today clearly shows that the economy is the number one issue on voters' minds -- and the betting is that in many places, incumbent Democrats are going to pay a heavy price for the economy's failings.
What will happen in Bristol, however, could be entirely different.
We won't know until the votes are counted in a few hours.
*****
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Today, with a whole range of hot races on the ballot, just 40 percent of the city's registered voters had shown up by 5 p.m.
A 10 percent drop since the last midterm election is a pretty sharp decline and makes it virtually certain that Bristol will come nowhere near the 60 percent turnout that Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz predicted statewide.
What it means, however, is less certain.
In general, insiders said that Republicans appear to be hyped up to vote this time around so they are perhaps more likely to turn out.
Democrats and independents may be sitting this one out, turned off by negative advertising and disgusted by the failure of both parties to fix the economy in the wake of 2008's financial collapse.
Polling across the country today clearly shows that the economy is the number one issue on voters' minds -- and the betting is that in many places, incumbent Democrats are going to pay a heavy price for the economy's failings.
What will happen in Bristol, however, could be entirely different.
We won't know until the votes are counted in a few hours.
*****
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
October 26, 2010
Go ahead and wear political garb at the polls -- but be prepared for possible headaches at the polls
The Republicans are making an issue out of a misguided directive that poll workers might want to prevent voters from wearing World Wrestling Entertainment garb when they're casting their ballots. I don't blame them.
But I don't understand why nobody's focusing on the larger issue: why do we allow election officials to prohibit political buttons and other paraphernalia at the polls at all?
The law in Connecticut says that "no person shall solicit in behalf of or in opposition to the candidacy of another or himself or in behalf of or in opposition to any question being submitted at the election or referendum, or loiter or peddle or offer any advertising matter, ballot or circular to another person within a radius of seventy-five feet of any outside entrance in use as an entry to any polling place or in any corridor, passageway or other approach leading from any such outside entrance to such polling place or in any room opening upon any such corridor, passageway or approach...."
But the law clearly flies in the face of the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech and the state's own Constitution, which proclaims that "every citizen may freely speak."
While few of us would want to be harassed by party workers as we cast our ballots, it's plain silly that supporters of Linda McMahon, for example, can't wear a shirt with her campaign logo on it when they go to vote. Who's harmed?
Moderators at every polling place already have the discretion to prevent people from causing any problems that might hinder the voting process. Heck, they can even throw out a too-pushy reporter if they must.
But since when is a political button or a leaflet in someone's hand or a Dan Malloy hat or a Ann Brickley t-shirt undermining anybody's ability to do anything?
This law amounts to a dress code policy for voters. It's an absurdity that is patently unconstitutional and, even worse, just plain dumb.
In this country, we have faith in free speech. We shouldn't chuck it come Election Day.
Update: After reading the entire section of the code dealing with polling places, it's pretty clear to me the whole thing is ridiculous. Students are allowed to watch only between noon and 3 p.m. and only if no more than four of them are present. Children are only allowed to accompany a parent or guardian until they turn 16, then I guess they're not to be there, though even that's a little unclear. Violators face up to $50 fines and three months in prison. God forbid a fifth student comes down to watch! And why would we care if a 17-year-old watches his mom vote? I'm perplexed by the logic of all of this.
By the way, the only penalty in the statute for wearing political garb is to get booted from the polling place so don't worry about going to jail for three months if you decide you just can't take that John Larson t-shirt off before you go to vote.
*****
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
But I don't understand why nobody's focusing on the larger issue: why do we allow election officials to prohibit political buttons and other paraphernalia at the polls at all?
The law in Connecticut says that "no person shall solicit in behalf of or in opposition to the candidacy of another or himself or in behalf of or in opposition to any question being submitted at the election or referendum, or loiter or peddle or offer any advertising matter, ballot or circular to another person within a radius of seventy-five feet of any outside entrance in use as an entry to any polling place or in any corridor, passageway or other approach leading from any such outside entrance to such polling place or in any room opening upon any such corridor, passageway or approach...."
But the law clearly flies in the face of the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech and the state's own Constitution, which proclaims that "every citizen may freely speak."
While few of us would want to be harassed by party workers as we cast our ballots, it's plain silly that supporters of Linda McMahon, for example, can't wear a shirt with her campaign logo on it when they go to vote. Who's harmed?
Moderators at every polling place already have the discretion to prevent people from causing any problems that might hinder the voting process. Heck, they can even throw out a too-pushy reporter if they must.
But since when is a political button or a leaflet in someone's hand or a Dan Malloy hat or a Ann Brickley t-shirt undermining anybody's ability to do anything?
This law amounts to a dress code policy for voters. It's an absurdity that is patently unconstitutional and, even worse, just plain dumb.
In this country, we have faith in free speech. We shouldn't chuck it come Election Day.
Update: After reading the entire section of the code dealing with polling places, it's pretty clear to me the whole thing is ridiculous. Students are allowed to watch only between noon and 3 p.m. and only if no more than four of them are present. Children are only allowed to accompany a parent or guardian until they turn 16, then I guess they're not to be there, though even that's a little unclear. Violators face up to $50 fines and three months in prison. God forbid a fifth student comes down to watch! And why would we care if a 17-year-old watches his mom vote? I'm perplexed by the logic of all of this.
By the way, the only penalty in the statute for wearing political garb is to get booted from the polling place so don't worry about going to jail for three months if you decide you just can't take that John Larson t-shirt off before you go to vote.
*****
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
November 3, 2009
Turnout remains low
As of 4 p.m., just 18 percent of the city's eligible voters had turned out at the polls - 6,116 in all.
The highest turnout, at least in terms of numbers, was a Northeast School (77B), which had 834 voters as of 4 p.m. Next highest was Chippens Hill School (78A), which had 792.
C'mon, folks, democracy means more if people participate.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Slow day at the polls
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
November 4, 2008
Turnout as of noon = at least 32 percent
By noon, more than 32 percent of the city's voters had already turned out, election officials said.
And that doesn't count those who voted at the American Legion, where a scanning machine is down and the tally of those who have voted is not yet available.
If people there voted at the same rate as the rest of the city, the total turnout was probably over 36 percent by noontime. It might have even reached 37 percent.
The polls close at 8 p.m.
*******Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Any lines at Starbucks?
Starbucks is giving away cups of coffee today. Any long lines there?
They started off with a plan to give them to voters, but had to hand them out to one and all because there's a federal law against providing any inducement ot vote.
*******Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Mayors sees packed polling places
Mayor Art Ward got to his polling place at Northeast Middle School at 5:40 this morning, 20 minutes before it opened.
There were already 60 or 70 people in line, the mayor said.
But when the doors opened at 6 a.m., Ward said, things moved along smoothly. He was all done by 6:20, he said.
By then, though, the lines were even longer.
"It was loaded," Ward said.
He headed over to Edgewood School and found the same situation there, with long lines.
Ward said that both polling places had pro and anti chief operating officer representatives out front to answer questions from voters trying to make up their minds on the major local ballot question.
Ward said that the nice weather is helping, of course, but there's some real excitement at the polls.
He said he's concerned that some people might not have had time to wait in line. Ward said he hopes everybody who wants to vote, gets the chance.
The only problem Ward could see in a couple of hours at the two locations was the length of the lines.
And that's the kind of problem that's good to see -- people enthusiastic about voting and willing to wait a few minutes to get their chance.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
More memory card problems at the polls
Though everyone's ballot will be counted today -- and the problem amounts to no more han "a little technical" glitch -- the vote scanners at two precincts are not working.
The scanners at the American Legion and at Chippens Hill Middle School are not working, officials said.
"It's all taken care of," said Republican Registrar Ellie Klapatch.
Officials are getting new memory cards from the secretary of the state and trying to get them programmed quickly enough to use soon.
In the meantime, the filled-in ballots are secure, she said, and will be run through the scanners as soon as they can be.
None of this has any real impact on people voting, by the way. It just means the ballots they fill in are put aside to scan later.
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
A problem at the polls
The scanner machine that counts the ballots -- the one that you feed these new paper ballots into after you're done voting -- is not working at the busy American Legion precinct on Hooker Court, election officials said this morning.
They're scrambling now to reprogram another scanner and get it into service there at 79B, but it's possible the thousands of ballots likely to be cast there will ultimately have to be counted by hand. There are more than 4,200 registered voters in that district.
Meanwhile, voters are pouring into the polls across town.
Not counting the American Legion precinct, because tallies there are a little hard to come by at the moment, there were 4,045 votes cast by 8 a.m. this morning in Bristol - or 11.7 percent of the electorate. There are 34,720 registered voters in town.
The polls close at 8 p.m. tonight, but don't wait if you can help it. It's a lot easier to resolve problems earlier in the day than in the minutes before the doors close.
Be sure to bring identification with you that has your current address. If you do have any trouble voting, don't hesitate to check with the registrar's office and get some help. Things can go wrong, but they have good people trying to make sure everyone gets to vote.
*******Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
November 3, 2008
Victory parties in Bristol
After the polls close, head over to the victory parties to join the Republicans or Democrats as they watch the returns roll in.
The Republicans are gathering at the Clarion Hotel.
The Democrats are getting together at Nuchies.
Typically, we start to know some results by 8:30 -- maybe sooner if I can live blog from one of the precincts -- and should have a pretty good idea who won locally by 9:30 or so.
But you never know.
I'll try to live blog what I can, but it's not easy while running around trying to get the stories that have to be filed in what seems like the blink of an eye in order to meet deadlines.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Republicans are gathering at the Clarion Hotel.
The Democrats are getting together at Nuchies.
Typically, we start to know some results by 8:30 -- maybe sooner if I can live blog from one of the precincts -- and should have a pretty good idea who won locally by 9:30 or so.
But you never know.
I'll try to live blog what I can, but it's not easy while running around trying to get the stories that have to be filed in what seems like the blink of an eye in order to meet deadlines.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Be sure to vote on Tuesday
The Karl Rove & Co. final poll for presidential race is here.
It shows a 338-200 electoral college win for Obama, with seven states going for McCain by less than 4 percent. Only one of Obama's states is that close in the Rove ranking - Florida, which wouldn't make a difference in the outcome.
Here's the daily tracking poll from pollster.com, which aggregates all the polls:
It doesn't look good for John McCain or the Republicans who may have to weather a Democratic tsunami on Tuesday.
On the other hand, strange things happen in politics, so pollsters and pundits could be proven wrong by the time all the votes are counted.
And even if Obama's margin proves as wide as the polls show, there are lots of other important races on the ballot around the country and right here in Bristol.
I hope voters will take the time to consider the merits of all the candidates and not just blindly vote for one party or the other. There are good, solid people who may deserve a vote from the party you don't normally support.
So, please, go vote on Tuesday, but vote with your brain engaged.
A lot of people over many generations have fought -- in war, on the streets, and in the halls of power -- to ensure that all of us have the opportunity to pick our leaders in this great democracy.
That young man from Bristol that I wrote about last week, Corporal Matt Lavoie, who is trying to regain the use of his right hand after a bombing in Iraq that nearly killed him, put his life on the line for this country and everything it stands, or, in short, for us. The least we can do to honor his sacrifice, and those of so many others, is to do our duty and go to the polls to exercise our right to vote with all the wisdom we can muster.
We'll never be happy with everyone who wins, of course, but we can all take pride in our ability to choose the direction our country will take. And we can all try, at the end of the day, to give the winners a chance, to see if they can make good on their promises.
If they can't, there's always next time.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
It shows a 338-200 electoral college win for Obama, with seven states going for McCain by less than 4 percent. Only one of Obama's states is that close in the Rove ranking - Florida, which wouldn't make a difference in the outcome.
Here's the daily tracking poll from pollster.com, which aggregates all the polls:
It doesn't look good for John McCain or the Republicans who may have to weather a Democratic tsunami on Tuesday.On the other hand, strange things happen in politics, so pollsters and pundits could be proven wrong by the time all the votes are counted.
And even if Obama's margin proves as wide as the polls show, there are lots of other important races on the ballot around the country and right here in Bristol.
I hope voters will take the time to consider the merits of all the candidates and not just blindly vote for one party or the other. There are good, solid people who may deserve a vote from the party you don't normally support.
So, please, go vote on Tuesday, but vote with your brain engaged.
A lot of people over many generations have fought -- in war, on the streets, and in the halls of power -- to ensure that all of us have the opportunity to pick our leaders in this great democracy.
That young man from Bristol that I wrote about last week, Corporal Matt Lavoie, who is trying to regain the use of his right hand after a bombing in Iraq that nearly killed him, put his life on the line for this country and everything it stands, or, in short, for us. The least we can do to honor his sacrifice, and those of so many others, is to do our duty and go to the polls to exercise our right to vote with all the wisdom we can muster.
We'll never be happy with everyone who wins, of course, but we can all take pride in our ability to choose the direction our country will take. And we can all try, at the end of the day, to give the winners a chance, to see if they can make good on their promises.
If they can't, there's always next time.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Guess the election results
This is only for bragging rights since I have nothing to give but empty praise, but anyone with an interest in politics always wants to show up everyone else in
predicting outcomes.
Here are the contests you should predict the percentages for:
1. McCain-Obama nationwide
2. McCain-Obama in Bristol
3. Chief operating officer referendum in Bristol
4. 77th District race between Fitzgerald and Wright; and
5. (tiebreaker) Electoral vote in the presidential race.
This is open to anyone who posts comments with his or her own name or 'handle,' but I won't post Anonymous comments in this thread since we don't want Anonymous to win, since everyone can claim the dubious honor.
Here's an example of a response (which is not my guess, by the way):
I predict McCain will win the national popular vote 52-47.
In Bristol, Obama will win 73-27.
Voters in Bristol will pass the COO proposal by a 55-45 margin.
Wright will win in the 77th by 54-46.
And McCain will win 288 electoral votes, leaving 247 for Obama.
Anyone can comment on the predictions of others, even Anonymous posters. But, hey, isn't it time to register? The contest closes as of 1 p.m. Tuesday to preclude anyone from using exit poll data to narrow down the likely national outcome.
By the way, be sure to vote for real on Tuesday. The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
October 31, 2008
Near record number of voters face many choices Tuesday
With nearly as many voters its rolls as ever before, Bristol may see busier polling places than it has in decades.
But election officials, who have been figuring out how to deal with the crush for months, anticipate few problems at the polls Tuesday.
“We spent a lot of time planning for this,” said Bob Badal, the Democratic registrar.
There are 34,708 registered voters this year in Bristol, more than 84 percent of them Democrats or independents. Republicans trail badly.
Still, city GOP chairman T.J. Barnes said that his party has the potential to do well in Bristol this year, with its emphasis on keeping state Rep. Bill Hamzy in office and getting newcomer Jill Fitzgerald to join him.
Voters will get the last word on a number of political contests, from the presidential slugfest between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain on down to uncontested local races.
They’ll also decide whether to change Bristol’s charter to create a chief operating officer as well as four non-controversial charter change questions. There’s also a hotly debated state issue on the ballot about whether to require a constitutional convention.
The 1st District congressional race features U.S. Rep. John Larson, an East Hartford Democrat, and two long-shots, Republican Joe Visconti of West Hartford and Green Party champion Stephen Fournier of Hartford.
The most watched race among Bristol’s political insiders is in 77th District.
Fitzgerald is locked in what appears to be a tight race there against Democrat Chris Wright in northeastern Bristol. The two are vying to succeed state Rep. Ron Burns, a Republican who opted not to seek re-election after a single term in Hartford.
Hamzy is scrambling to fend off Democrat Jacqui Denski in the 78th District, which includes Chippens Hill.
In the 79th District, state Rep. Frank Nicastro is facing a token challenger, Republican David L. Norton, who stepped in at the last minute to replace Derek Jerome, who apparently committed suicide last month to escape financial woes.
In the 22nd District, which includes fewer than 1,000 voters in the Forestville section of town, state Rep. Betty Boukus, a Plainville Democrat, is facing a challenge from Republican Scott Saunders.
State Sen. Tom Colapietro, a Bristol Democrat who has represented the 31st District since 1992, doesn’t have an opponent for the first time in his career. The district includes Plainville, Plymouth and part of Harwinton as well as Bristol.
To deal with the many voters expected to show up at the polls, Badal said there are going to be two check-in lines for voters at the precincts.
Moderators at each precinct have also worked up floor plans to speed people through as quickly as possible, Badal and Republican Registrar Ellie Klapatch said.
Klapatch said that it will help if voters are prepared to show identification at the check-in tables.
She also said that the machines and ballots are ready to go.
“Everything’s running smooth,” said Klapatch, who’s been supervising elections in Bristol since 1971.
The precincts with the most voters this year are 79A, 78A, 79B, 79C and 77A, the registrars said. All of them have more than 4,000 registered voters, Badal and Klapatch said, so voters there should give themselves some extra time.
The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Polling Places for the Election will be as follows:
Council District One
77A– Edgewood School – 345 Mix Street
77B – Northeast School - 530 Stevens Street
77C – Mountain View School – 71 Vera Road
Council District Two
78A – Chippens Hill Middle School – 551 Peacedale St.
78B – Clara T. O’Connell School – 120 Park Street
79A – South Side School – Tuttle Road
Council District Three
79B – American Legion – 22 Hooker Court
79C – Greene Hills School – 718 Pine Street
77D & 22 - Stafford School – 212 Louisiana Avenue
Note: An earlier version of this entry provided a bigger number for the registered voters tally because of an error at the registrars' office. It is now correct.
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
November 7, 2007
Swearing-in ceremony Monday
The swearing-in ceremony for newly elected city leaders is slated for 7 p.m. Monday at Bristol Eastern High School.
Mayor-elect Art Ward said that he asked Attorney General Richard Blumenthal to swear him in. “I consider it an honor to have him do it,” Ward said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Mayor-elect Art Ward said that he asked Attorney General Richard Blumenthal to swear him in. “I consider it an honor to have him do it,” Ward said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Turnout in Bristol on Tuesday
As Republican mayoral candidate Ken Johnson aptly put it, turnout at the polls Tuesday was "very poor."
Of the 31,777 eligible voters, only 36.3 percent showed up to cast a ballot. That means a mere 11,527 turned up at the polls, leaving nearly 20,000 potential votes uncast.
Two years ago, 38.4 percent of the voters showed up for the mayoral race between Republican William Stortz and Democratic incumbent Gerard Couture.
To be fair, there are only a few towns in the state where more than half the registered voters bother to turn out for municipal races.
Yesterday, even the hotly contested mayoral race in New Britain could only draw 30 percent of voters there to the polls.
In general, the cities and towns that have the worst turnout are also the poorest, most wretched places. So getting a good turnout is one indication that a municipality has the sort of active, interest citizenry that everybody purports to want.
So it's disturbing that Bristol can't muster more voters on Election Day.
Johnson is absolutely right about that.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Of the 31,777 eligible voters, only 36.3 percent showed up to cast a ballot. That means a mere 11,527 turned up at the polls, leaving nearly 20,000 potential votes uncast.
Two years ago, 38.4 percent of the voters showed up for the mayoral race between Republican William Stortz and Democratic incumbent Gerard Couture.
To be fair, there are only a few towns in the state where more than half the registered voters bother to turn out for municipal races.
Yesterday, even the hotly contested mayoral race in New Britain could only draw 30 percent of voters there to the polls.
In general, the cities and towns that have the worst turnout are also the poorest, most wretched places. So getting a good turnout is one indication that a municipality has the sort of active, interest citizenry that everybody purports to want.
So it's disturbing that Bristol can't muster more voters on Election Day.
Johnson is absolutely right about that.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
November 6, 2007
Not much outrage out there
The most telling thing about the results at the polls today is that voters didn't blink about returning incumbents to office.
Every single incumbent - four city councilors and most of the Board of Education - was reelected. And Art Ward, a 14-year councilor, was tapped as mayor.
So for all the anger, all the protests, all the frustration, there is, in the end, not much to show for it.
Only one person in the entire race, Republican Councilor-elect Ken Cockayne, could possibly be said to have won because of any feeling out there that change was needed. He barely squeaked by Democratic newcomer Bruce Lydem, who perhaps represented the status quo more than Cockayne did.
In the school board race, it's tough to ignore that the two people who got the most votes were Tom O'Brien and Barbara Doyle, the two most visible champions of the plan to switch to a K-8 system and to build two new 900-student schools.
O'Brien and Doyle got more votes than anyone on the ballot other than Ward. They raked in more votes than Republican mayoral hopeful Ken Johnson, both city treasurer candidates and 11 other school board contenders.
Whether you agree with their position on the schools or not, that's an impressive showing.
To whatever degree the election was about change, it sure looks like the voters preferred the status quo.
In fact, the results show that so strongly that it's kind of surprising that Johnson pulled in 48 percent of the mayoral tally.
Perhaps that means, as well, that voters weren't as tired of Mayor William Stortz's administration as candidates on both sides argued. After all, he's been at the center of the storm, and if the winds didn't blow anyone away, that says something.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Every single incumbent - four city councilors and most of the Board of Education - was reelected. And Art Ward, a 14-year councilor, was tapped as mayor.
So for all the anger, all the protests, all the frustration, there is, in the end, not much to show for it.
Only one person in the entire race, Republican Councilor-elect Ken Cockayne, could possibly be said to have won because of any feeling out there that change was needed. He barely squeaked by Democratic newcomer Bruce Lydem, who perhaps represented the status quo more than Cockayne did.
In the school board race, it's tough to ignore that the two people who got the most votes were Tom O'Brien and Barbara Doyle, the two most visible champions of the plan to switch to a K-8 system and to build two new 900-student schools.
O'Brien and Doyle got more votes than anyone on the ballot other than Ward. They raked in more votes than Republican mayoral hopeful Ken Johnson, both city treasurer candidates and 11 other school board contenders.
Whether you agree with their position on the schools or not, that's an impressive showing.
To whatever degree the election was about change, it sure looks like the voters preferred the status quo.
In fact, the results show that so strongly that it's kind of surprising that Johnson pulled in 48 percent of the mayoral tally.
Perhaps that means, as well, that voters weren't as tired of Mayor William Stortz's administration as candidates on both sides argued. After all, he's been at the center of the storm, and if the winds didn't blow anyone away, that says something.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Ward wins, but not by much
Photo by Mike Orazzi/ The Bristol PressAfter a bitter primary battle and a general election that at times turned nasty, Democrat Art Ward emerged victorious Tuesday, capturing the mayor’s office in a close race against Republican Ken Johnson.
“We took nothing for granted,” said Ward, who said it took “dedication and commitment” from his supporters to emerge victorious by a 52-48 margin.
As mayor, Ward said he wants to finish projects already underway – like the downtown mall and the new industrial park – before tackling anything new.
Ward promised a new tone at City Hall under his administration.
“Open government is first and foremost,” said Ward. “This city council will be treated with respect and civility. Respect will be shared jointly amongst all the council members.”
Ward said respect will also be given to the public, the city’s employees and the many people who serve on its board and commissions.
Johnson said that he “will sleep peacefully” because he ran a clean,straightforward campaign that raised a host of important issues andsought to get the community more involved in its government.Johnson said that nobody should count him out, either.“My aim is Ken Johnson, mayor-elect 2009,” Johnson said, declaring that “we start the 2009 campaign right now.”After talking with Johnson on the phone, Ward said his opponent “ran a real hard campaign.”
The election showed that candidates must be vigilant and “listen to the people,” Ward said.
Democratic city Councilor Frank Nicastro, who easily won re-election, said he’s sure Ward will do well in the mayor’s chair.
“I feel very confident that Art Ward will hit the ground running , and I mean running,” said Nicastro, who served five terms as mayor starting in 1993.
“Fourteen years ago, Art Ward and I stood side by side as a freshman mayor and as a freshman councilman,” said Nicastro. “Today’s a great day.”
At Nuchie’s in Forestville, where Democrats celebrated their election victories Tuesday, the party faithful came in confident.
Dick Inglis predicted Ward would win big, with percentages of 63 to 37.
“Everywhere Artie went, he knew the people coming in,” said Jay Meisinger. “I don’t see how he could lose.”
But city Treasurer Patti Ewen, who did not seek re-election, said she didn’t see a blowout coming.
“I think it’s going to be very close,” said Ewen.
Ewen was on the money.
As the results began coming in and Ward supporters saw Johnson take some of the districts – with others closely matched – the mood quieted a little bit.
“You never know,” said Ward.
“I’m shocked at this,” said Democratic worker Jeff Merrow, at the close results. “I just don’t believe this.”
Later, with victory in his pocket, Ward relaxed and celebrated, slapping a high-five with one supporter and clinking beer bottles with another.
Johnson said he plans to “continue to reach out” to residents to help ensure that everyone's voices are heard at City Hall.Johnson that the Republican Party is “not going to stop” with a couple of City Council wins. He said its future is vibrant.“We are not going to accept mediocrity in the city of Bristol,”Johnson told a cheering crowd at the Franco-American Club on Barlow Street.“If you believe in change and a new brand of leadership, then staytuned,” Johnson said.
Ward’s treasurer, Bob Dunlap, said he was glad the race was over
“What a rollercoaster,” said Dunlap. “I didn’t know what to expect.”
Dunlap said he wasn’t surprised at the final numbers.
“The divisiveness in the Democratic Party had a lot to do with it being so close,” said Dunlap, who said whatever he put into bringing Ward to victory was worth it.
Dunlap said he was only upset that Ward lost in Dunlap’s own precinct.
Republican Frank Johnson, who heads the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. and the zoning board, showed up to support Ward and wait for the returns.“I’ve been friends with Artie for two decades,” said a grinning Frank Johnson. “I’m allowed to come. He told me it was okay.”
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
“We took nothing for granted,” said Ward, who said it took “dedication and commitment” from his supporters to emerge victorious by a 52-48 margin.
As mayor, Ward said he wants to finish projects already underway – like the downtown mall and the new industrial park – before tackling anything new.
Ward promised a new tone at City Hall under his administration.
“Open government is first and foremost,” said Ward. “This city council will be treated with respect and civility. Respect will be shared jointly amongst all the council members.”
Ward said respect will also be given to the public, the city’s employees and the many people who serve on its board and commissions.
Johnson said that he “will sleep peacefully” because he ran a clean,straightforward campaign that raised a host of important issues andsought to get the community more involved in its government.Johnson said that nobody should count him out, either.“My aim is Ken Johnson, mayor-elect 2009,” Johnson said, declaring that “we start the 2009 campaign right now.”After talking with Johnson on the phone, Ward said his opponent “ran a real hard campaign.”
The election showed that candidates must be vigilant and “listen to the people,” Ward said.
Democratic city Councilor Frank Nicastro, who easily won re-election, said he’s sure Ward will do well in the mayor’s chair.
“I feel very confident that Art Ward will hit the ground running , and I mean running,” said Nicastro, who served five terms as mayor starting in 1993.
“Fourteen years ago, Art Ward and I stood side by side as a freshman mayor and as a freshman councilman,” said Nicastro. “Today’s a great day.”
At Nuchie’s in Forestville, where Democrats celebrated their election victories Tuesday, the party faithful came in confident.
Dick Inglis predicted Ward would win big, with percentages of 63 to 37.
“Everywhere Artie went, he knew the people coming in,” said Jay Meisinger. “I don’t see how he could lose.”
But city Treasurer Patti Ewen, who did not seek re-election, said she didn’t see a blowout coming.
“I think it’s going to be very close,” said Ewen.
Ewen was on the money.
As the results began coming in and Ward supporters saw Johnson take some of the districts – with others closely matched – the mood quieted a little bit.
“You never know,” said Ward.
“I’m shocked at this,” said Democratic worker Jeff Merrow, at the close results. “I just don’t believe this.”
Later, with victory in his pocket, Ward relaxed and celebrated, slapping a high-five with one supporter and clinking beer bottles with another.
Johnson said he plans to “continue to reach out” to residents to help ensure that everyone's voices are heard at City Hall.Johnson that the Republican Party is “not going to stop” with a couple of City Council wins. He said its future is vibrant.“We are not going to accept mediocrity in the city of Bristol,”Johnson told a cheering crowd at the Franco-American Club on Barlow Street.“If you believe in change and a new brand of leadership, then staytuned,” Johnson said.
Ward’s treasurer, Bob Dunlap, said he was glad the race was over
“What a rollercoaster,” said Dunlap. “I didn’t know what to expect.”
Dunlap said he wasn’t surprised at the final numbers.
“The divisiveness in the Democratic Party had a lot to do with it being so close,” said Dunlap, who said whatever he put into bringing Ward to victory was worth it.
Dunlap said he was only upset that Ward lost in Dunlap’s own precinct.
Republican Frank Johnson, who heads the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. and the zoning board, showed up to support Ward and wait for the returns.“I’ve been friends with Artie for two decades,” said a grinning Frank Johnson. “I’m allowed to come. He told me it was okay.”
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Here are the unofficial results for all of the key races:
MAYOR
Ward – 5912
Johnson – 5549
TREASURER
Veits – 5652
Anderson – 4371
CITY COUNCIL
District 1
Rimcoski – 2246
Block – 2038
Kilby - 1983
District 2
McCauley – 2139
Lydem – 1808
Cockayne – 1834
Geladino – 1216
Blaschke – 85
District 3
Nicastro – 2302
Minor – 2189
Merrick – 1721
Board of Education
Doyle – 5686
Luczkow – 4804
Anastasio – 4947
O’Brien – 5711
Vibert – 4667
Turcotte – 4967
Bonola – 4182
Coan – 4230
Holschag – 3443
Prindle – 4077
Sparks – 4016
Wilson – 4828
Rydingsward - 2046
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
MAYOR
Ward – 5912
Johnson – 5549
TREASURER
Veits – 5652
Anderson – 4371
CITY COUNCIL
District 1
Rimcoski – 2246
Block – 2038
Kilby - 1983
District 2
McCauley – 2139
Lydem – 1808
Cockayne – 1834
Geladino – 1216
Blaschke – 85
District 3
Nicastro – 2302
Minor – 2189
Merrick – 1721
Board of Education
Doyle – 5686
Luczkow – 4804
Anastasio – 4947
O’Brien – 5711
Vibert – 4667
Turcotte – 4967
Bonola – 4182
Coan – 4230
Holschag – 3443
Prindle – 4077
Sparks – 4016
Wilson – 4828
Rydingsward - 2046
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Dems win most
City Councilor Craig Minor, flanked by his wife, Laura, and Dale Clift, an assistant city attorney. Photo by Mike Orazzi/ The Bristol Press.No final numbers, but it appears that Democratic mayoral candidate Art Ward won.
Among the council candidates, the winners appear to be:
District 1
Mike Rimcoski (R)
Cliff Block(D)
District 2
Kevin McCauley (D)
Ken Cockayne (R)
District 3
Frank Nicastro (D)
Craig Minor (D)
I'm not sure of the other races, and can't be positive about any of the above yet.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Among the council candidates, the winners appear to be:
District 1
Mike Rimcoski (R)
Cliff Block(D)
District 2
Kevin McCauley (D)
Ken Cockayne (R)
District 3
Frank Nicastro (D)
Craig Minor (D)
I'm not sure of the other races, and can't be positive about any of the above yet.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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