Percentage of independent
voters high in Westfield
By HOPE E. TREMBLAY
Staff writer
WESTFIELD – The number of independent voters in Massachusetts is continuing to grow as enrollment in the state’s two major parties shrinks, and Westfield voters are proving this to be true.
According to City Clerk Karen Fanion, there are 11,866 unenrolled voters in Westfield, 4,436 registered Republicans, and 6.807 registered Democrats/
“I guess we follow the trend,” said Fanion. “But, I think we have always had more unenrolled voters than anything else.”
The latest figures released by Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin’s office shows the number of voters not enrolled in any party — so-called “independent voters” — has topped 52 percent.
That’s up from 2004, when slightly less than half of all Massachusetts voters were independent.
The independent voters seem be drawn from the ranks of Democrats and Republicans. Both parties have seen their percentage of Massachusetts voters steadily erode.
In 2004, Democrats accounted for more than 37 percentage of all voters. That number has dipped by more than a full percentage point.
Republicans has also seen their percentage of voters drop from nearly 13 percent in 2004 to just over 11 percent this year.
Fanion said there are a minimal number of voters registered to other parties, including Green Rainbow and Libertarian.
Fanion said she hopes Westfield voters come out in numbers for tomorrow’s Republican primary election. However, primary elections are not typically well attended.
“We usually base what to expect on the number of absentee ballots we receive,” said Fanion.
Regardless of the number of voters who turn out, Fanion said every election costs between $30,000-$35,000.
“We still have to pay for supplies and people to move equipment and workers,” said Fanion. “The presidential election may cost a little bit more because we need more people to handle the volume.”
Fanion said her entire staff has been working to prepare for tomorrow’s election. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
Hope E. Tremblay can be reached at [email protected]
