Darien Votes: 25% turnout by mid-afternoon

Written by Lynsey Santimays
Tuesday, 03 November 2009 16:06

TUESDAY, 4 P.M. — The weather is certainly cooperating for Election Day 2009. Amidst a cool fall day, voter turnout is up about 3 percent — which is evident at poll locations at Town Hall, Darien High School, and Tokeneke School.

As of 3 p.m., 3,195 Darien voters had cast ballots, according to town officials. That is 25.3 perecent of registered voters.

• Follow live online coverage from The Darien Times here

Town Hall hosted several candidates outside its doors, with Democrat candidate for selectman David Bayne, independent first selectman candidate Chris Noe, and Republican candidate for selectman Jayme Stevenson all there during the afternoon. They greeted candidates as they went to cast their votes, and thanked them as they left.

Roger Brown, the District 2 polling moderator, said the turnout had been as anticipated and steady throughout the day. There was no line at the Town Hall polls, but the center of town government was never completely void of voters.

Independent candidate Chris Noe displayed some interesting advertising techniques. Leaning against a 1960 classic car with “Vote Yes for Noe” along the side, he created scarecrow-like signs that bore his face as well as a “Vote Yes for Noe” T-shirt.

“I am just trying to scare some votes out of some people,” Noe said with a laugh.

Perhaps the site of the most activity was Darien High School. With the other Republican candidate for selectman, Jerry Nielsen, outside, there was a steady stream of voters at the District 5 polling site.

With a line of about six people, the voting booths were almost constantly occupied. Polling worker Janet Grogan said there were about nine people waiting to vote before the polls even opened.

“We’ve all been surprised at the turnout,” District 5 polling moderator Janet Offutt said.

Voters leaving the high school site voiced how it was even more important to vote during local elections, rather than national ones. Leila Wetmore, who voted with her two daughters in tow, said she always votes in each local election.

“It directly affects our day to day lives,” she said.

Peter Eder, the moderator at District 6 polling site, Tokeneke School, said they had seen about 500 voters as of 2:50 p.m.— 25 percent of the 2,000 voter district.

“We expect to be at about 40 percent by the time the polls close,” Eder said.

Short lines were seen at Tokeneke, with voters coming in on a consistent basis. Voters said that the hot-button issues of town budget, affordable housing and flooding brought them out to the polls.

“It is important to vote in local elections because they are the people that man the town I live in,” Eileen Vanloan said as she left Tokeneke.

With just four hours until the polls close, there is still plenty of time to cast your vote at your district polling location.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it