Turnout ‘slow but steady’ at Fairfield, Bridgeport polls so far

Shortly before 9 a.m. this morning, the parking lot of Fairfield Warde High School was roughly half empty, and it seemed that not many of the owners of those cars were at the school to vote in Tuesday’s primary.

But State Rep. Kim Fawcett (D-133) said the flow of voters was “slow but steady” in the morning hours. Fawcett was at Warde showing her support for 5th District U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, a U.S. Senate candidate running in the primary against former Connecticut secretary of state Susan Bysiewicz. Warde is in RTM District 6 in Fairfield, which Fawcett called “a huge swing district in town.” She attributed the leisurely flow of voters partly to the early hour and partly to the fact that many voters in the area are unaffiliated and, thus, don’t vote in the primary.

There were a few souls exercising their rights to vote this morning, including Erik Campbell. Campbell is a Republican and he voted for Linda McMahon to be the Republican candidate for the senate seat. McMahon is running against former longtime congressman Christopher Shays. “I like some of the things (McMahon) has been saying,” Campbell said, though he wouldn’t elaborate. He said he votes in the primary races because “It’s important to get the right candidate.”

Meanwhile, fellow Fairfield resident Charles Vaugh, a Democrat, voted for Murphy and also emphasized the importance of primaries to the democratic process. “You have to vote at all the opportunities open to you,” he said.

Not far away, voters were also trickling in and out of the polling place at Central High School in Bridgeport. One of them was Maria Vecchiarelli, a Democrat who, among other candidates, voted for incumbent Democrat Ed Gomes to retain the 23rd District state seat. His challengers are ex-state legislator Ernie Newton and state Rep. Andres Ayala. Vecchiarelli was born and grew up in Italy, but is an American citizen. She said part of her duty as an American is coming out to the polls on election days.
“I do my share,” she said.

Amanda Cuda