Low Election Turnout in Cheshire

A round-up of election activity on Tuesday:

Chapman School:

Mary Anne Harback, moderator, said of her polling station, "It's a little slow. This year is local and there just isn't the interest."

By 7 p.m. 700 ballots had been cast, out of 2,165 registered voters in District 2.

Working together at the polls, two ballot checkers at Chapman, Anna Flores and Steven Simeonidis said they're getting married this weekend.

"If I can work 15 hours with her, I can be with her the rest of my life," said Simeonidis of Cheshire. Flores is from Tucson.

Outside the school Republicans candidates held their campaign signs. Town Council District 2 candidate Tom Ruocco and at-large candidate Jim Sima stood with Leslie Marinarro who was unopposed as an alternate for the Planning & Zoning Commission.

"It's lighter than two years ago, even a little slower than Highland," said Ruocco, about Highland School.

"There is a lot of stuff going on in people's lives," said Sima. The candidates said  the recent storm and resulting damage and power outages could have kept people home.

"Last year we had in excess of 800 (voters)," at Highland said Ruocco.

Democratic candidates gathered at Highland as well with Cathy Hellreich, Board of Education candidate joining Bob Behrer, at-large candidate for Town Council. Both worked their day jobs before coming to the polls Tuesday evening.

"Seems like voter turnout is very low," said Behrer, also citing the damaging storm.

"People's kids are home again," said Hellreich. "They were home last week, they're home this week."

Highland School:

Matthew Bennett of Cheshire has been a moderator for three years. As of 7:20 p.m. about 600 people, a little over 30 percent of registered district voters, had turned out.

"I wouldn't consider it a good turnout," said Bennett. "I would call it a slow trickle."

Katherine Petrucci, who votes every year, said one of the decisive issue of this election, the proposed water treatment plant upgrade, "It's time, it's necessary. Expensive, but necessary."

Town Council candidate Matt Bowman said he campaigned for Marléna Soble, Democratic candidate for Board of Education, all season. He said the voter turnout was "terrible, very light. It's so little it could go either way."

Barbara Ruocco, wife of candidate Tom Ruocco, kept busy helping her husband shuttling between Highland and Chapman.

"Quiet, it seems," she said about the turnout, "a little more at Chapman."

Artsplace:

Donna Lodynsky, moderator, said the location has been used for three years, switching from the former polling location at Epihany Church. Possible redistricting may have led to the confusion.

Like everywhere else, Lodynsky said voter turnout was slow. At 7:50 p.m., 732 of a possible 2580 votes were in.

"A slow but steady stream of people all day long," said Lodynsky. She mentioned the student poll checkers who helped at Artsplace Tuesday.

"It was wonderful," Lodynsky said of the volunteers.

Outside, as the polls closed, the parking lot emptied of campaigners and candidates who headed to campaign headquarters to wait for results.

The District 2 council race was decided by about 8:30 p.m.with incumbent Tom Ruocco, (R) keeping his seat against Matt Bowman (D) with a 145-vote win.