Light voter turnout in Danbury’s Fifth Ward

The entrance to the War Memorial gymnasium, which is being used as a polling place for the Republican and Democratic primary, on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012. Photo: Libor Jany/The News-Times

DANBURY — The early numbers are in and voter turnout in the state’s primary election has been lower than expected.

Polls opened at 6 a.m. and by 1:15 p.m. only 126 of 1,182, or 11 percent,  registered Democrats had turned out to vote. Meanwhile, 90 of 666 (14 percent) Republicans had voted.

The turnout target was 25 percent. said poll site moderator Eileen Coladarci. She said that light turnout was a sign of voter apathy.

“I think it’s a very poor turnout and I think it’s a bad reflection on our society,” Coladarci said. “People have got to let people know what their problems are.”

Inside the War Memorial gymnasium, which is being used as a polling place for the Republican and Democratic primary, Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012. Photo: Libor Jany/The News-Times

And what was the most-represented demographic group to vote?

“Seniors. That’s because they grew up with this civic duty,” she said, adding that this was the fifth primary she had helped oversee.

Inside the stuffy gymnasium at the War Memorial, she and a handful of poll workers waited anxiously as a smattering of voters trickled in.

Paul Ricard, a local minister and registered Democrat, said he “wanted to vote for a candidate who would continue a strong progressive trend.”

“As a Christian minister, the gospel’s telling me to be concerned with the poor,” he said.

State House Speaker Chris Donovan campaigns outside the War Memorial gymnasium in Danbury, which is being used as a polling place for the Republican and Democratic primary, Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012. Photo: Libor Jany/The News-Times

Outside of the gymnasium, Connecticut House Speaker and Democratic congressional candidate Chris Donovan was handing out handshakes to supporters and detractors, alike.

Donovan remains favored to win, despite the fact that his congressional campaign recently came under a federal corruption investigation.

“A woman who said she was a Republican said, ‘Hey, I admire a guy who sticks with his guns. Who stands up for himself,” Donovan said. “It’s not there have been tons of people to come through, but the people that have been through have been very supportive, very pleasant.”

Libor Jany