On sunny Election Day, Darienites crowd the polls

Written by Lynsey Santimays
Friday, 06 November 2009 10:30

The weather certainly cooperated for Election Day 2009. Amidst a cool fall day, voter turnout was up about 4 percent this year — which was evident at poll locations all across town.

Voter turnout increased to 43.8 percent this election, with 5,536 Darien voters making their way to the polls out of 12,627 registered voters.

Town Hall, Darien High School, and Tokeneke School were all busy with voters throughout the afternoon.

Town Hall hosted several candidates outside its doors, with incumbent 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.

By the end of Election Day, 861 votes were tallied at Town Hall out of 2,104 registered voters, bringing District 2 turnout to almost 41 percent.

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.

Noe also offered his predictions for the outcome. “Dave Campbell is the winner,” Noe said.

Greg Willis, a voter leaving Town Hall, disagreed, saying: “I came out to vote for Callie Sullivan.”

Despite having no school, Darien High School was full of activity. With the other Republican candidate for selectman, Jerry Nielsen, outside, there was a steady stream of voters at the District 5 polling site.

“I came out to vote for the entire Republican ticket,” Andrea Mallozzi said while standing outside with her friend, Jerry Nielsen. “It is important to vote in people who will best serve the community and its needs.”

Inside, 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 — and this year, she cast her vote for Callie Sullivan.

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

Gale Hankey, another District 5 voter, said she voted for the Republican ticket of Campbell, Nielsen, and Stevenson. “It is important to vote in local elections,” 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. They did just that, reaching 40 percent with 831 total votes out of a potential 2,049.

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.

Voters who spoke to The Darien Times were split at Tokeneke, as about half the voters leaving said they voted for Callie Sullivan, and the other half said they voted for Dave Campbell.

The polls saw a rush of voters as many commuters got out of work in the early evening time. This was certainly true at District 4 polling site, Hindley School.

At around 5:30, Hindley School was relatively empty, with only a handful of voters. In a matter of minutes, the line to vote had grown to almost 20 Darienites, as many arrived right from work.

“We are expecting a rush as the three trains come into Darien,” Hindley moderator Thomas Foley said. “They will be full of commuters, ready to vote.”

Other than a slow period at around 1:30, there was a continuous flow of voters the entire day, spiking at 6, 10, and 3.

“We expect to be closer to 50 percent turnout by the end of the day,” Foley said. While they didn’t make it to 50 percent, they were close — coming in with 47 percent voter turnout by the end of the day: 973 votes cast out of 2,077 registered voters.

Dorothy McKay, who came with daughters Caroline and Kat in tow, came out to exercise her “civic duty” of voting. “I feel like I should, local elections are important,” McKay said.

McKay also shared that she cast her vote for Callie Sullivan and David Bayne.

Jan Raymond made the trip to the polls to fulfill her duty, as well. “I think it is important to vote every time you have the opportunity,” Raymond, a Darien Housing Authority commissioner, said. Affordable housing wasn’t a far thought from Raymond’s mind as she cast her vote, as it was one of the most talked about issues this election year.

“I really feel we have to get some moderate income housing built,” Raymond said.

With that sentiment, Raymond voted for Callie Sullivan.

However, both Bill McClure and Julie Pearson came out to Hindley to support David Campbell, CEO and president of Darien’s Ring’s End Lumber.

“David did a great job at Ring’s End all these years, and if he did it there, I think he can also do a very good job for Darien,” McClure said as he left the polls.

Earlier in the day, Democratic candidate for selectman David Bayne was outside Town Hall. By evening time, however, The Times found him camped outside the District 3 polling site, Holmes School.

Bayne greeted voters, introducing himself, and reminding them to “flip over their ballots” to vote for the Representative Town Meeting races also.

Inside Holmes, the scene was on the quieter side as Election Day winded down, with about five or six voters there at one time. Moderator James Hett Jr. said that despite some lulls throughout the day, he expected voter turnout to be around average, which is about 40 percent.

“It was heavy before 9, during lunchtime, and picking up now,” he said. There were never very long waits, though, as there were eight voting stations at Holmes.

District 3 didn’t quite hit that number, as 845 out of 2,229 voters came out, bringing its voter turnout to 38 percent.

Darienites leaving the Holmes polls shared the sentiment that they were fulfilling their responsibility to vote in local elections. John Stracuzzi said he was simply performing his civic duty, and that “it is always important to vote in local elections.”

He also added that he voted for the Sullivan ticket.

Lynn Dennis left the polls, not wanting to disclose her vote, but stating, “I am coming to the polls to exercise my right to vote.”

Joseph Maker added: “It is important to vote in local elections. Local government impacts us more closely.”

At the District 1 polling site, Ox Ridge School, the vote count was 896 out of 2,122 registered voters, giving them 42 percent voter turnout.

As the end of Election Day neared, Ox Ridge was relatively empty, but had experienced a “rush hour” of voters in the early evening.

Moderator John Price said that in the past hour, they had seen more voters than they had all day. “It was pretty steady all day, but definitely more in the last hour,” Price said.

Voters leaving Ox Ridge were hesitant to disclose who they voted for in this election.

At 8 p.m., the only thing that was for certain was that at each polling location, polls were busy with Darien voters.

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