Your first responsibility is to go vote…or, in this case, vote-vote-vote.
But after you vote, come back here and tell us what you saw at polls, including what number voter you were at your particular ward and precinct.
Polls are open: get out there and vote-vote-vote
by Village 14 | Mar 11, 2013 | Newton | 46 comments
Ok, I will go first! Ward 3, Precinct 3…..number 84 at 9am.
I was voter 143 at Ward 5/2 at the Hyde Center at 9:03 a.m. Lots of friendly folks standing outside looking for charter commission and Waban Area Council signatures.
However, I couldn’t find the line to vote for Ward 1 Alderman anywhere!
I assume the polls are open until 8?
110 at 9 AM at the Emerson in Upper Falls. The poll workers told me that these numbers include the absentee ballots that were submitted before the election.
122 at 9:45 at Cabot School [2-2]
My wife and I will be voting at the Community Center around 1:30. However, I would like to go on record officially that if there is no PTO Bake Sale there in which I can purchase my minimum daily requirement of brownies and cookies, I may turn around and not vote.
To paraphrase Dickens’ dialogue in “A Christmas Carol”, I will attend and vote but I insist on being fed.
Mark – I couldn’t agree more. Its a real quality-of-democracy issue. As I voted empty handed today, I pined for the plate full of PTO baked sweets from my previous polling place. I miss my brownies.
5-2
#27 at 7:20 AM
No bake sale at 545 Grove Street 🙁
10:30 counts at Hyde:
6-3: 229
5-2: 221
Still no bake sale
There will be no bake sale at 545 Grove today (I am one of the parents that usually bake for the after school program). I did bake, but there is no sale, so I will have to eat the cookies myself.
164 (sort of) at 11am in 3/3. But machine did something weird – spit the ballot out (with some red stuff on it.) I tried again and it took it, but the counter didn’t increment. Warden was staring at it when I left.
I was poll watching for the yes side at Zervas (5-3). There were 234 votes by the time I turned it over to my replacement at a little past 10 AM. I figure yes is leading no by better than 2-1, but can’t be absolutely certain about this and this is a precinct where the yes votes have to figuratively swamp the no votes.
My final prediction is that yes wins 56-44.
That’s citywide. It could be more and it could be less. How’s that for hedging things.
#162 at Ward 7, Precinct 1 at 11:00 am (that number includes 44 absentee ballots).
#53 at Ward 4 Precinct 1 around 8:45. No bake sale at Burr … my 4-year old was very sad about it.
Was number “greater than 200” at Zervas 4-2 at 11am. Counter on machine was broken! What’s with the broken machines I’m reading and hearing about? Hope they’re up and running for all the rest of our special elections. BTW, in collecting signatures at Hyde for nascent Waban Area Council, I got to meet our Blog Master, Mr. Reibman, in person!
Best moment while holding signs at Burr this morning: elderly couple coming to vote, gentlemen walks over to me and says “Don’t tell any of my neighbors, but we’re voting with you – and we don’t even have kids in the schools!” Then his wife adds “But SOMEBODY’S kids are in these schools!”
@Jerry. My neighbor Caroline Anderson brought a plate full of delicious apple Ginger muffins to us at Zervas this morning. The highlands never slacks off for any election.
Just before noon at Zervas: 300 for 5/4 and 300 for 5/3.
This is going to be close.
Whoops…I meant I voted at 5-4, not 4-2. Sorry ’bout that!
Terry – I don’t know how to read the electoral tea leaves. Why does 300 for 5/4 and 300 for 5/3 mean it will be close?
Jerry — 5/3 and 5/4 vote on opposite sides of the gym at Zervas. Whichever precinct has the most ballots cast gets first serve in the annual BATTLE OF WARD 5 volleyball game.
I voted at Burr School (Ward 4, Precinct 4). I Voted NO! NO! & NO! I was voter # 289 from my precinct. Ward 4, Precinct 1 also votes at Burr but I didn’t bother to see how many voted there. I didn’t see many people there.
6/2 #392
Voted this morning in Ward: 8 Precinct: 2. Memorial Spalding. NO – NO – NO!
Stop feeding the pig ! It will get fatter and will not do your garden any good. So what if the number of students increased – so should have the number of residents and the taxes they pay. We pay enough already! Stop stealing and wasting our money and repair the schools and the roads!
Jerry,
Sorry I wasn’t clear. First sentence was reporting votes (300 each precinct). Second sentence was unrelated to the vote count, just a feeling I had while I was there. According to the savants, my vibe is wrong. We’ll see.
Terry – So your tea leaves are as muddy as mine.
I doubt it will be close. Lemmings will blindly follow the master once again.
8/3 Countryside had 366 votes as of 4:12pm. Also they moved the voting location inside the school from the gym to the old auditorium area off the front entrance. I was told a few of the polling places were trying new set-ups for safety reasons in reaction to Sandy Hook.
Michael Dubinsky – “Lemmings will blindly follow the master once again.” As far as I know, the override was voted down last time.
It’s 5:53pm. I Just received a pro-override phone call from a live person. The women was not from Newton. Signia Marketing Company in Colorado was hired to generate yes votes. She was calling from Colorado.
BNF really pulled out all the stops on this.
Here’s the totals, so far:
– 2 Very well produced mailings.
– 2 or 3 robocalls, including one from the mayor.
– 1 live call today.
Regardless of how you’re voting, you simply must be impressed by how well coordinated this is. This is not an inexpensive effort.
Make that 5:35pm.
Charlie — Just received the same call from Denver (5:53). If people are willing to vote to increase their taxes, that’s one thing and I can understand that (I voted for 2 of 3 today).
But I can’t fathom actually donating money to the cause. Particularly to fund this level of outreach! Well, at least they kept costs down by having their kids in the photos! No model fees to cover.
I voted at 3/2 (Peirce) at around 4:30, with 427 votes cast.
My household only got one mailing and one robocall — from the mayor.
And we have three voters.
350 votes at 5:45PM at the Emerson in Upper Falls
8/3 (Countryside) Voter No. 492 at 6:05 p.m.
And warden predicted 30% turnout
Just voted at Weeks House. W6P2 #539.
Our household only received one mailing and no robo calls. We have five registered voters. Four voters voted and the fifth voter’s absentee ballot was requested too late to be mailed on time. (college mailroom problems)
Quite reasonable turn-out at 7 p.m. in the pouring rain at the Hyde Center.
411 at Emerson/5-1 at 6:55pm
Another prediction: Ward 5 will be te last ward to report results.
My co-worker who lives one street over from me didn’t even realize there was an election today.
My girlfriend noted that it was over 300 when she voted at Horace Mann this afternoon.
Not only is Bob Burke a legendary class act, but he got the percentage exactly right. Add him to the winners list.
I was talking #430 at w1/p3 (Bigelow) #430. Not very busy when I was there about 7pm. Was less pleased with a local “get out the vote” email to a neighborhood list that turned into a mudfight on the issues.
Oops on the extra word “talking”