ABOVE: Paul Karwoski set up a handicap voting station at Stamford High School Monday. (JASON REARICK/The Advocate)
STAMFORD — Turnout for Stamford’s Democratic mayoral primary had barely broken 15 percent as of 3 p.m., according to Democratic Registrar of Voters Ron Malloy.
Board of Finance member David Martin and District 147 state Rep. William Tong unleashed aggressive get-out-the-vote campaigns in the final days leading up to Tuesday’s primary. But by late afternoon only 3,596 of the city’s 23,890 registered Democrats had cast ballots, Malloy said.
“My guess is those are probably the people who really care passionately about which candidate wins,” he said.
Turnout was similarly weak in in District 6, where Forest St. resident David Kooris is challenging Board of Representatives veteran Annie Summerville and party-endorsed candidate Denis Patterson to a primary election. As of 3 p.m. 172 of the district’s 1,155 registered Democrats — a turnout of just under 15 percent — had cast ballots in the race.
If voter turnout was anemic among Stamford Democrats, it was nearly nonexistent among Republican voters in the two districts holding Board of Representatives primaries Tuesday. Stamford’s GOP, which did not hold a mayoral primary, saw contests in the board’s 13th and 18th districts.
In District 13, where Akbar Road resident Dominick Lacerenza is challenging incumbent city Reps. Harry Day and Ralph Loglisci, only about 1 percent — or 139 of 11,130 registered Republicans — had visited the polls as of 3 p.m., according to Republican Registrar of Voters Lucy Corelli.
In District 18, where incumbent city Rep. J.R. McMullen has forced a primary with his fellow incumbent James Caterbone and endorsed party candidate Joseph S. Tarzia, voter turnout was slightly better, at least percentage wise, Tuesday afternoon. Seventy-six of District 18’s 1,141 registered Republicans had voted as of 3 p.m. — a turnout of about 7 percent, Corelli said.
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