In the Hilltowns, clerks reported steady turnout at the polls while voter expressed a full range of views on topics ranging from the presidency to charter schools, legalizing recreational marijuana and banning the sale of eggs from tightly caged hens.
While voters held different views on the issues, they agreed on one thing: It will be good to put the 2016 campaign in the rear-view mirror.
Officials in Chesterfield and Williamsburg said that voting was brisk and steady after the polls opened at 7 a.m.
“Everyone is excited about coming out to vote and putting this all behind them,” Williamsburg Town Clerk Brenda Lessard said.
Lessard said that of the town’s 2,020 voters, 638 took advantage of early voting to cast their ballots before Election Day. Topic A for many voters was the bitter presidential race between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and businessman and reality TV star Donald Trump. Chris Flory of Williamsburg said that he was pulling for a Clinton victory.
“I think that this election has been offensive. Trump is a danger. I am worried that my fingers are going to be deformed from keeping them crossed for so many months.” Flory said.
Bethany Quimet of Williamsburg said she was disappointed with both the Democratic and Republican candidates.
“I feel that the two major candidates are not qualified and I voted for Jill Stein. I think that the important issues she talks about, like global warming, and green issues have been neglected in this campaign, Quimet said. “I guess you could call it a protest vote because I think we need better candidates.”
Sienna Wildfield of Chesterfield said that she is concerned about how the election and the campaign season has affected younger people.
“As a parent of a teen, I am watching how the younger generation is reacting to this election,” Wildfield said. “They can’t even vote yet, but they are very engaged and unsettled and worried about the future.”
Chesterfield Town Clerk Sandy Wickland said that of the town’s 930 voters, 134 took advantage of pre-Election Day early voting.
“This morning has been very brisk and we had 18 people waiting in line before 7 a.m. That is a first.” Wickland said early in the day.
In Goshen, Town Clerk Gina Papineau said voting booths filled up immediately after the polls opened Tuesday morning. There are 731 registered voters in Goshen, 125 of whom voted early. “For us I think that is very good,” Papineau said, noting that by 11:30 a.m. 287 people had come in to vote.
On her way into the polls, Maryjo Sondrini of Goshen said that she believed that it is important to vote.
“I feel that it is a privilege to vote, not that I really like either of the (presidential) candidates that much,” she said.
On Question 4, which would legalize recreational marijuana, she said: “I am up in the air about the pot question. I am concerned about how it would be controlled.”
In Cummington, voting was steady. “It has been very busy, non-stop.” Cummington Town Clerk Donna Jordan said just after noon. “As soon as we put the sign up outside, people started coming.”
Worthington Town Clerk Katrin Kaminsky echoed other clerks in reporting a steady stream of voters Tuesday. she said that even though early voting made more work for town clerks, she thought it was good for the democratic process.
“If early voting encouraged just three more people to vote that wouldn’t have, than I think that it is a great thing,” she said. While polls were steadily busy, there were no lines to speak of at most of the hilltown polling places. Earleen Gadreault of Worthington said she was glad to get in and out so quickly.
“A big issue for me was Question 3 and the animals,” Gadreault said, referring to the ballot measure that would the production and sale of eggs and some other products from tightly confined animals. “I am totally against the abuse of animals.”
Jim Dodge of Worthington said he was “relieved” to be able to vote today. “I have waited for this day for months. I am a news junkie, but at this point I have had it, I’m done,” said Dodge, who supports Clinton. “What I am really concerned about is unifying the country tomorrow. I have never seen our country go through a grinding election like this,” he said.
Dodge said that he is also concerned about the issue of charter school expansion.
“I voted against that. I think we need to improve our public schools,” he said.
Unlike many other cities and towns, Goshen, Cummington, Chesterfield and Worthington will be counting ballots by hand. Williamsburg is the only hilltown in Hampshire County to use a ballot counting machine.
Town clerks in these towns were hard at work after the polls closed with a team of volunteers to help count the ballots.
“We will probably have votes counted by 11 p.m.,” Papineau said.