NORTHAMPTON – Despite hopes that interest in local races might result in a better state primary turnout, early indicators Thursday showed otherwise.
Voters at the polls are choosing Democratic candidates for Hampshire County Sheriff, 3rd Hampshire District Representative, 8th District Governor’s Council and Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden Senate.
In both sheriff and House races, incumbents are stepping down after decades of service.
Secretary of State William F. Galvin said although predicted state turnout was 8 to 10 percent, Hampshire County could hit 15 percent because of interest in those races.
But as of mid-morning on Thursday, Amherst turnout was what poll worker Cathy Harraghy described as the regular “steady dribble.”
She was working Precinct 4 at the Bangs Community Center, where just 57 of 1,660 registered voters had cast their ballots by noon.
“We all thought there might be more interest and action,” she said. Precinct 5 and 10, also in the community center, saw low numbers.
There are 19,312 registered voters in Amherst.
Harraghy said voters did seem to have a clear sense of who they would choose.
“It’s been very quick work,” she said.
Amherst resident Judith Fish was among those, voting Solomon Goldstein-Rose for retiring Rep. Ellen Story’s 3rd Hampshire District seat.
“That’s a very hot race,” voter Alan Root of Amherst said, referring to the six candidates running for that Democratic nomination.
Root knows all six candidates personally.
“They’re all qualified to serve, but I’m not telling which I voted for,” he said. “I’d have problems with the other five, if I did,” he said with a laugh.
Root feels as though across the state, those elected stay in office for too long. He’d like two-year terms with a six-year maximum.
Otherwise, he said, “people get stale.” He said a change reflecting that opinion would move further in the direction of being “a government of the people.”
Another seat long held by Sheriff Robert Garvey drew attention from voters.
James Royer, 74, of Northampton said that for him, candidate Patrick Cahillane was a clear pick for the job.
“It seems to me there are three candidates – one of whom is emminently qualified, one who is emminently not qualified, and one who is seemingly qualified but has no experience in law enforcement,” he said of candidates Cahillane, Kavern Lewis and Melissa Perry, respectively.
He said Garvey’s endorsement of Cahillane was important.
Northampton voter Meredith Young-Chmura, 57, felt similarly.
Garvey had done a solid job, she said, and she hope things would continue in that direction.
“You go with your best gut on the trends you want the community to go in,” she said.
The Northampton Senior Center, where they both voted, hosted voters from Wards 4A and 4B.
As of 2 p.m., only 45 of 1,251 registered voters in Ward 4A and 112 out of 1,400 in Ward 4B had cast their ballots.
Wendy Mazza, city clerk, said voting has been slow since early morning and hadn’t improved much by the afternoon.
When she voted during the 8 a.m. hour in Leeds, Ward 7B, only three other people had, she said. There are 20,600 registered voters in Northampton.
Polls were also quiet in Easthampton, where city clerk Barbara LaBombard noted a five percent turnout by mid-day. That count usually doubles by the end of the day, she said.
As of 1 p.m., roughly 568 of 11,836 registered voters had cast their ballots.
Mazza said contested races races or not, voters already have their sights set on the Nov. 8 presidential election.
“Their focus at this point is just November,” she said.
Fish, who generally votes, won’t be participating, come November.
“(Voting) is your voice, but it’s a sad state of affairs when the U.S. can only come up with these two,” she said of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
Federman has never missed an election and doesn’t plan to.
“Voting is a right,” he said. A right his grandmother, who was from Russia, informed him of when he was a young child.
“The two greatest rights Americans have are the right to vote and the right to own a public library card,” said Young-Chmura, with a laugh. “I’m a strong believer in education.”
Sarah Crosby can be reached at scrosby@gazettenet.com.