Voter Turnout Increased But Remained Low Tuesday

Although voter turnout was low, area polling places reported increased numbers throught the day Tuesday.

With about 20 minutes left to vote, numbers showed that only 23 percent of registered voters in Division 32, who vote at , had voted. The percentage translates to 129 out of 562.

on Ridge Avenue, where residents in Division 20 and 21 vote, reported 17 percent and 20 percent voter turnout respectively.

Division 20 saw 87 voters out of a potential 495 and Divison 21, saw 131 of 644 voters.

"I didn't think we'd make it to 20 percent, but we did," Naomi Paskin-Parsons, majority inspector for the 21st division, said shortly before the polls closed at 8 p.m.

Although the number of votes was light for the division, Paskin-Parsons, said the polling place had a heavy evening. It didn't, however, see its usual before-work rush. 

"We saw a later crowd," she said. "Probably all the people who went to the old polling place first."

Edmund Spaeetch, who was working the polls for Division 20 said they never saw a crowd.

"If anything it went from a stroll to a very slow walk," he said. "This is very low for a general election."

Seventy-six people out of 500 registered, voted at throughout the day. The number is up from four voters around 11 a.m. 

"We've been slow all day. The numbers are higher than expected but lower than usual," Todd Farally, Democratic committee man for the 12th division said at about 7:45 p.m.  "I think the problem is that people don't realize how important these local elections are, these are the people that are running their city."

At 8 p.m. , that is polling site for Divisions 5 and 30, reported a total of 406 voters without counting the absentee ballots. One hundred and eighty voters came out in Division 30 and 226 voted in the 5th division.

In the morning the site had only reported about 30 voters.

"It's been staggered all day, no real rushes" a woman working the polls for Division 5 said. "We didn't see any big crowds."