Candidate for 2nd Hampden & Hampshire District State Senate Donald Humason Jr., casts his vote at Juniper Park Elementary School this morning. Humason, a Republican State Representative, is facing off against Holyoke Democratic City Councilor David Bartley for the Senate seat. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – City residents started going to their local polling precincts this morning to decide a number of contested municipal races and to choose a new state senator.
A number of factors will affect total voter turnout. The polling places opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m.
Residents will check in at two tables and receive white state ballots and the pink municipal ballots, then vote by marking the two ballots and checking out at two tables. The ballot machines have been programmed to accept and tally both ballots.
City Clerk Karen Fanion said the voting machines have been tested to ensure they record both ballots properly. Fanion declined to give an estimate of a percentage of voter turnout, but said that based upon the volume of early absentee ballots received at her department, that the number of voters at the polls will be steady.
Westfield State University Professor Philip Zampini said that other factors, such as greater use of social media, could increase voter turnout.
“It’s going to be good weather, so that won’t be a factor,” Zampini said.
Mayoral candidate Michael L. Roeder said he is “hoping for a really big turnout” of the city’s 23,882 registered voters.
“The average over the past 10 municipal elections is about 6,000 voter turnout,” Roeder said. “There seems to be general interest this year. There is choice which I hope stimulates people to get out and vote.”
“At 6,000 I’m in trouble,” Roeder said, “But at 10,000 to 12,000 I have a chance. “
Roeder said the senate race and the number of city council races in which incumbents are being challenged add to voter interest.
“I’m kind of excited. Win or lose, it will be good for the city,” Roeder said.
Mayor Daniel M. Knapik said that he does not anticipate a voter turnout “any more than 36 percent” or about 8,500 ballots cast during the election today.
“I don’t think either way it goes in terms of turnout hurts me one way or the other,” Knapik said. “Historically, voter turnout for city elections has been declining every election cycle.”
At 8 a.m., 45 total voters had cast their vote in Ward 5B at Munger Hill Elementary School.
At 9:30 a.m., 333 total ballots were cast in Ward 6A and 249 in Ward 6B at Paper Mill Elementary School.
At 10:30 a.m. Ward 5, Munger Hill Elementary school, Precinct B had a ballot count of 590, while Precinct 5-A had a count of 363. However, according to one of the Ward 5 Councilor candidates Precinct 5-A had a ballot machine issue at 7 a.m. that was resolved around 8 a.m. and 200 ballots were placed in a secured lock box and will be put through the machine after the polls close at 8 p.m.
Note: the ballot count includes both the state ballot and the municipal ballot. An observer said that some residents were only take one or the other ballot which means that simply dividing the ballot count by two will not yield an accurate voter turnout count.
