Signage outside KT Elementary School Monday, Aug. 14, 2012
STAMFORD — Republicans were leading Democrats in voter turnout percentages* as of 3 p.m. Tuesday, despite a local election on the Democratic side for the next registrar of voters.
Just under 18 percent of Stamford’s 12,537 registered Republican voters had cast ballots as of 3 p.m., according to the GOP Registrar’s office. About 13 percent of the city’s 22,664 Democratic voters had visited the polls, according to Democratic Registrar Alice Fortunato.
Democratic turnout is lower than the August 2010 gubernatorial primary, which attracted about 18 percent of registered Democrats to the polls by 3 p.m., Fortunato said. That race may have sparked a higher voter turnout, however, because Stamford’s former longtime mayor, Dannel Malloy, was one of the candidates, she said.
Voting has gone smoothly so far despite minor confusions caused by the recent redistricting, Fortunato said.
“We redistricted so some people … don’t really know where to vote,” she said. “But the staff is here to help them, that’s their job. So we’re happy with the turnout and hopefully they’re happy with the polling stations.”
Democrats did hold a slight edge in absentee voting as of 1 p.m., said Town Clerk Donna Loglisci. At that time, 284 Democrats had submitted absentee ballots compared to 261 Republicans.
The polls will remain open until 8 p.m.
*Note: Democrats, which vastly outnumber Republicans in Stamford, are trailing the GOP in voter turnout percentages. In terms of raw numbers, more Democrats than Republicans have voted in Tuesday’s election.