UPDATE: As of 6 p.m. the citywide turnout of voters for the school board special election was roughly 2600. That means the entire citywide turnout will be hard pressed to hit five percent by the time polls close at 8. Good grief, the voter turnout is lower than the sperm count of frogs.
Per order of the Connecticut Supreme Court city voters today will select four candidates for the Board of Education. This all started when the elected school board by a 6-3 vote in July of last year claimed the school system was dysfunctional and in dire need of help. The elected board dissolved itself and the state took over appointing seven new board members. Opponents to state control claimed the elected board had failed to follow a state statute provision calling for training of school board members before such a move could take place. The Supremes agreed.
The four new board members will join five others whose terms have not expired. The new elected school board, according to the Supreme Court decision, will be seated once elections officials certify today’s results. One of the four seats is reserved for minority-party representation.
Democratic operatives have been working their peeps for voting via absentee ballot. As a result, more than 300 absentee ballots have been returned to the Town Clerk’s Office.
The voter turnout has been light and most campaign operatives doubt the citywide turnout will hit 10 percent by the time polls close at 8 p.m. Let us know if you hear anything. We’ll provide results as soon as we get them.
I usually vote after 5pm but I will in the morning this time around have stuff to do later. I will vote for Row C at Black Rock school. I am still undecided on who my third candidate will be, either Kelleher or karen Jackson. Black Rock might get 400 to 450 voters if we’re lucky and if 400 to 450 is the turnout here imagine how low the rest of the city will be. Hernan told the Post turnout might be 3 percent, yikesss.
Does anybody think because school is open parents will drop off their kids then vote? Can that juice turnout?
At Luis Marin this morning, there were very few people there to vote.
donj,
One year ago I worked at the polls at Longfellow school on primary day as a greeter. School was held that day so I got to see parents/adults dropping students off in the morning and picking them up at the end of the day. I came away with several impressions that day:
1) Parents of students at Longfellow see/saw no connection between voting and any change in their future or student future. That conclusion, if accurate, has had no substantial reason to change in the past year.
2) I overheard a young voter telling a friend he was being paid for his vote on that day and also it would happen again in November, 2011. (Such is the power of a single party continuing to maintain the status quo, that depends on keeping people who are registered generally ignorant of material issues and away from the polls.)
3) Although it was a Democratic primary (meaning that there were no Republicans on the ballot), folks asked more than a few times which is the Republican line that they wished to avoid. My only response was: “They’re all Democrats.” and this was met with looks of incredulity. I guess we should be happy they got out to the polls. Time will tell.
I’m still a bit new to B’port Democratic politics.
When we get paid by Mario for voting, is there a minimum wage requirement that applies???
Also, if we get paid in kind, as in scrip for the Package Store, is that taxable income???
As of 10:18 am 93 people have voted at Black Rock school. I was the 93rd voter. There was one person ahead of me and one person behind me to vote. The only person at the gate was a guy giving out palm cards for Working Families. I voted row C and for the petition candidate Jackson.
I urge all to get out and vote today! This is a historic vote for several reasons. It was through protest and litigation and finally the state Supreme Court that returned to city residents the right to vote, which was lost after the state takeover.
This is also the first time the Working Families Party has an opportunity to gain more than two seats on the board.
And all are saying the level of turnout in this election will have an impact.
No all-out push at Hooker to get three Dems elected. None of the usual suspects outside handing out literature and encouraging vote. Could it be that Finch/Wood have a plan no matter the vote outcome? Are they just waiting for the charter vote in November?
Bullet C1 C2
Working Families Party candidates still knocking on doors even this afternoon. Good sign for them.
At Cesar Batalla School there were 43 people who had voted, the time was 2:15 this afternoon. B&B all the way.
Does anyone know the Brooklawn turnout thus far at Central (3PM-ish)? As of this morning at 7:00 AM, I was the tenth voter.
Radio Black Rock 102.1FM has been pushing WFP all day.
Bullet Bags & Babs Row C1 C2
I just got a phone blast from the BOE to go and vote. Of course I voted this morning, but I think that was a good idea for them to send the call out.
The BOE is spending taxpayers’ money to promote a partisan election???
This should be illegal.
Oh, wait a minute, it is illegal.
And Squeaky, let me guess, you are a registered Democrat.
According to CT Post online–fewer than 800 voted so far.
Off topic but of a serious nature. YALE university has reported that Frog Sperm in Fairfield County is at an all-time low. Jeez, with all this bad news and all these elections we in Fairfield county are under a lot of pressure.
I thought that Yale story was about you!
Which part, the frog or the ????
Lennie, just think of all the elections we have had this year and we have one more to go. I would hope the BOE gets the word and does not have school on election days or at least have the teachers and staff leave the parking spaces near the voting area free so people can park and get to the polls. Hooker school had one parking space available today.
Lennie, you need to do an in-depth article on this frog problem.
Hey Andy, not one parking space was available at Black Rock plus there was a big-ass milk truck close to the voter entrance and anybody who votes at Black Rock school knows what I’m talking about, the side entrance is very very narrow.
*** Deed was done at C. Batalla School with WFP and Joe B. getting my vote; Good Luck! The election as usual will be another “Pathetic Zombie” turnout in the Park City, birthplace of the PT Barnum Circus Sideshow, no? *** LIKE THE GRAINS OF SAND THROUGH AN HOURGLASS, SO ARE THE DAYS OF AN ELECTED BOE? ***
*** I’ve been approached by a few Zombies asking me to “think” over the “possibility” and any interest on my part in sitting on the BOE should Colon or Mulligan resign. A thankless commitment no doubt but could prove important concerning the many changes coming down the pike, no? What say you OIB readers and bloggers, please be gentle with your comments or you may find yourself the victim of a “hex or mojo!” *** HERE WE GO! ***