Explore Carroll: Carroll County turnout low in today’s Maryland primary

http://bit.ly/d7WRoK At Westminster Elementary School, precinct 7-7 in Carroll Co, there were more signs than campaign workers, judges, or voters: http://twitpic.com/2ogcjd

http://bit.ly/d7WRoK only a handful of campaign poll workers at Precinct 7-7 polls in Carroll Co at around 3:15 pm http://twitpic.com/2ogm7y: There were only a handful of campaign polling place workers at the Westminster Elementary School Precinct 7-7 polls in Carroll County at around 3:15 pm.  The unopposed Republican candidate for register of Wills, Paul G. Zimmerman, in the red shirt, stopped by to chat with Marcus Lee Primm, white shirt, a campaign worker for Republican commissioner candidate for District 3, Dave Roush and several other unidentified poll workers.

Karen Fassett, stopped for a moment while discussing the voter turnout with fellow judges, Joe Shaw and Gerry Wiseman at Westminster Elementary School, precinct 7-7 polls in Carroll County, earlier today.  Fassett reported that by 3:15, 509 had voted, out of 3,672 on the voting rolls in the precinct. http://twitpic.com/2oh7rs

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Carroll County turnout low in today’s Maryland primary

September 14, 2010

By Kevin Dayhoff

In spite of the nearly perfect weather, various reports throughout the state and Carroll County indicate that voter turnout for today’s Maryland primary election, is low.

For much of the day the temperature was in the low seventies.  There were blue skies and plenty of sunshine; the only thing missing was voters.

There were only a handful of campaign polling place workers at the Westminster Elementary School Precinct 7-7 polls in Carroll County at around 3:15 pm. 

And there were more campaign signs that campaign workers, election judges and voters.

The unopposed Republican candidate for register of Wills, Paul G. Zimmerman, stopped by to chat with Marcus Lee Primm, a campaign worker for Republican commissioner candidate for District 3, Dave Roush, and several other poll workers.

Primm said that this was really the first campaign he has ever worked-on and he has found the experience rewarding.

Zimmerman said, “I’ve been a whole bunch of places (today) and (voters are) just trickling-in.  I’ve just returned from (the polls at) at Carrolltowne (Elementary School, precinct 5-4 in the Freedom District) and they had 660 voters or so around 2 p.m…  South Carroll (High School, precinct 14-2, Berrett District was) fairly consistent.  Always someone coming in at around 10 a.m.”

Bryan Sears, reporting for Explore Baltimore County, said that the First Congressional District (mostly on the eastern shore of Maryland) had the best early voting turnout in the area where almost 4 percent of voters participated in the precincts that make up that district.  That's about a full percent higher than the Baltimore County and state turnout.

Similar reports of low voter turnout filtered in from Howard and Baltimore County.

In an e-mail interview late this morning with former Carroll County Delegate Joe Getty – a longtime political observer and Republican Maryland Senate candidate for District 5 in Carroll and Baltimore County – he commented on voter turnout: “I’m not sure that you can judge this election as being ‘low turnout’ just because of the lunchtime numbers. 

“Unlike other Maryland primaries, today’s election suffers from a “Raven’s effect” – a Monday-night football game before the Tuesday election. 

“Those Carroll County football fans may not have been able to get an early start this morning – but instead will vote on their way home from work this evening. Republican turnout four years ago was 28% - we may get close to that with the evening voters added to the 1% early voters.”

Richard Cross, former Ehrlich speechwriter and GOP political analyst, observed, “In a primary election, low turnout benefits challengers in a year where a strong anti-incumbent wave is present.

“Only the most passionate voters show up during a primary.  Passion is less inclined to be felt by supporters of candidates whose victory is a foregone conclusion.

“In the GOP gubernatorial primary, for example, many of Bob Ehrlich’s backers know he’s going to win, and are waiting for the chance to vote for him in November.  Brian Murphy’s supporters are motivated by ideology, or because they want to send Ehrlich a message before voting for him in November.”

Meanwhile, Jay Voight, one of the chief judges for the 7-7 precinct in Westminster, said that voter turnout was “slow – 12 percent – very low.  Very slow morning.”

Voting at 3:15 p.m was a breeze.  There were no lines and many more election judges than voters.  The judges were more than happy to stop and chat.  Most election polling places in Carroll County are often the scene of a community reunion and get-together on election day.  But not today.

A unit judge, Mary Lathroum, noted, “people have been coming in at a trickle.”

Karen Fassett, another election judge at Westminster Elementary School, stopped for a moment while discussing the turnout with fellow judges, Joe Shaw and Gerry Wiseman.

Fassett reported that by 3:15, 509 had voted, out of 3,672 on the voting rolls in the precinct.

For more coverage of today’s Maryland primary, check with Explore Carroll http://bit.ly/d7WRoK later in the evening.

Explore Carroll: Carroll County turnout low in today’s Maryland primary
LABELS: ELECTIONS 2010, ELECTIONS 2010 CARROLL CO,ELECTIONS 2010 MD GOVERNOR, ELECTIONS 20100914 MD PRIMARY, GOV EHRLICH-ROBERT
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