Election Day: Higher Than Expected Turnout
Tuesday's election got off to a slow start, but numbers picked up in the evening.
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Wakefield voter turnout was light through the morning and early afternoon, but picked up during the evening hours, according to figures released by the Town Clerk's office.
As of noon, only about 1600 Wakefield residents total had cast their votes at each of the four polling stations.
Only a few people remained holding signs at 1 p.m. Most election signs had been abandoned, and were laying on the ground.
By mid-afternoon, candidates and supporters resumed their places at polling stations, and voter activity increased into the evening.
Polls remained open until 8 p.m. Voter counts below reflect released information from the Town Clerk's office.
According to the numbers, by 8 p.m. 3559 residents had voted out of 16,498 total registered voters for a total voter turnout of 21.5 percent, higher than expected, and several percentage points higher than turnout in 2011.
| Time | Precinct | Number of Votes |
| 10 a.m. | 1 | 107 |
| 2 | 84 | |
| 3 | 58 | |
| 4 | 94 | |
| 5 | 91 | |
| 6 | 104 | |
| 7 | 90 | |
| Total |
628 |
Time |
Precinct | Number of Votes |
| 12 p.m. | 1 | 181 |
| 2 | 129 | |
| 3 | 112 | |
| 4 | 138 | |
| 5 | 134 | |
| 6 | 195 | |
| 7 | 168 | |
| Total: | 1057 |
Time |
Precinct | Number of Votes |
| 3 p.m. | 1 | 296 |
| 2 | 201 | |
| 3 | 199 | |
| 4 | 234 | |
| 5 | 239 | |
| 6 | 311 | |
| 7 | 317 | |
| Total: | 1797 |
Time |
Precinct | Number of Votes |
| 5 p.m. | 1 | 392 |
| 2 | 253 | |
| 3 | 216 | |
| 4 | 319 | |
| 5 | 316 | |
| 6 | 401 | |
| 7 | 412 | |
| Total: |
2354 |
By 8 p.m. - Final total: 3559.
John Bengtson
2:13 pm on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Most of the sign holders take a break in the early afternoon, It picks up again after 4pm.
Rich Greif
1:19 pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Sara, my understanding is that 3,559 residents voted not 5,836 (which might have been the total number of votes not voters), representing less 22% of eligible voters. It's double last year's turnout but still pretty low.
Sara Jacobi
9:02 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Hi Rich - you're right, I confirmed it with Mary Galvin that 3,559 residents voted for 21.57%. I thought the totals she were sending me weren't cumulative, but they are. I'm updating the article now to reflect the true numbers/percentages. Thanks for bearing with me!