WESTFIELD – For Bay State voters it seems that every year there is a special election going on somewhere in the Commonwealth.
For voters in the Second Hampden and Hampshire District, the upcoming state senate race between Holyoke Democrat David Bartley and Westfield Republican Don Humason Jr. may very well come down to which camp is able to energize their voter base and get them to the polls.
With two ballots being used for both the senate and several hotly contested city elections in the Whip City, the worry is that many folks will be discouraged by the dual ballots, and thus disinclined to vote Tuesday.
Westfield City Clerk Karen Fanion says not to worry.
“You’ll just have to check in twice,” Fanion said of the procedure at the polling stations. “There will be two seperate ballots, one for city and one for senate.”
The city and state ballots, which are cherry colored and white, respectively, can be placed in the same ballot box, but voters must check out prior and give their name and address.
Regarding the feeling amongst voters, Fanion said that the clerk’s office has been quite active.
“We’ve been very busy with absentee voting, which is a good sign,” she said. “It’s been steady.”
Meanwhile, neighboring towns such as Southwick are operating under a single ballot system for the Tuesday election.
Southwick also has its Fall Special Town Meeting this month, set for Nov. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Powder Mill School. The warrant includes eight articles, five of which total $378,801. Appropriations include additional funds for the parallel sewer interceptor project, and a $1 easement for the electronic Town Crier sign. The warrant is expected to be finalized today and should be available on the town web site.
