Politics & Government

Steady Trickle Of Presidential Primary Voters In Concord

Turnout should surpass 2012 vote totals but fall short of 2016 as former Massachusetts governors stump for votes in NH's capital Tuesday.

Tony Schinella's profile picture
Tony Schinella, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
|
The scene from polling locations around Concord on Feb. 11, New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary.
The scene from polling locations around Concord on Feb. 11, New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary. (Tony Schinella | Patch )

CONCORD, NH — Concord polling locations saw a steady stream of voters in the morning and early afternoon Tuesday for New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary with some polling locations projecting turnouts that will probably pass 2012 but be lower than 2016 — with a lack of strategic get-out-the-vote effort by some of the campaigns. Of the city's 10 wards, only six had people standing out supporting candidates and one had no signage at all around the polling location. Many candidates did not have a single person at the polls for nearly three hours during the middle of the day — one of the busiest times for voting in the city — showing that either campaigns didn't have the resources to compete or neglected to compete in Concord, despite it being one of the highest turnout communities for Democrats.

At the same time, in many of the city wards, the GOTV presence didn't matter — turnout was pretty solid.

In Ward 6, at Christ the King Parish, historically one of the lowest voting turnout locations in the city, 390 voters had cast ballots by 10:30 a.m. — about 27 percent of voters who cast ballots in 2016 and 63 percent as many who cast ballots in 2012 (619). Ward Moderator Sarah Chaffee was all smiles about the turnout, saying it was pretty steady for the first few hours.

Find out what's happening in Concordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Twenty minutes later, William Weld, the former Republican governor of Massachusetts, swung by to greet voters at his only Concord campaign stop before attending a luncheon in Greenland and then, polling location stops in Rockingham and Hillsborough counties. He took pictures with supporters, mingled with voters holding signs for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, and U.S. Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, and spoke to two national reporters. Weld said he had enjoyed campaigning during the last year in New Hampshire and would be continuing onto Super Tuesday states where he expected to fare better in Colorado, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

Around the corner, at the West Street Ward House, Ward 7, one of the busier polling locations in the city, 730 voters had cast ballots — about 34 percent of 2016 and 60 percent of turnout in 2012.

Find out what's happening in Concordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Olivia, a standout for another former governor from Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, a Democrat, said the campaign was moving people around to and from the busiest polling locations. She said Ward 7 had been busy, so far.

Two Donald Trump supporters were also holding signs promoting the incumbent while advocating to keep the country from turning socialist. Bob, one of the sign holders, said residents had been voting at a regular clip.

At Ward 5, the city's most liberal and historically the second busiest ward for turnout, had 805 votes around 11:30 a.m. About 90 minutes later, close to 1,100 votes had been cast — nearly 50 percent from 2016 and just 300 votes shy of 2012 at the Green Street Community Center.

At-Large Concord City Councilor Byron Champlin, who originally endorsed U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, but switched to U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, after Booker booked out of the race, said many voters he had been speaking with were making up their minds at the last minute. Long-time activist Ned Helms was standing nearby with a sign for Vice President Joe Biden while Patrick and Warren also had visibility.

Ward 9 Concord City Councilor Candace Bouchard, an early backer of Klobuchar, was holding a sign at the Boys & Girls Club on Bradley Street, where Ward 4 voters cast ballots.

"It's been busy," she said, while standing with state Rep. Art Ellison, D-Concord, who was holding a Sanders sign.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-HI, also had two supporters out the polls at Ward 4, both from out of town, who said they were having fun participating in the primary process. One of the sign holders, a guy from New York who backed Ron Paul in 2012, said he liked Gabbard's foreign policy positions and her position on drug decriminalization. The other sign holder, a woman from Rhode Island, who was a Democrat, agreed.

Five hundred and ninety voters had cast ballots at just after noon — nearly 35 percent of 2016 turnout and but more than half of the 945 who cast ballots in 2012. By 3:45 p.m., that number had climbed up to just shy of 800 votes, about 28 percent of the registered voters in the ward.

Neither Ward 2 nor Ward 3 had any sign holders. Ward 2 reported 584 voters at 12:30 p.m. (on track to get close to 2012 totals, 945, but less than half of 2016, 1,280). Ward 3, had 525 5 minutes later, less than half of 2016 but on track to pass 2012 (721).

Solid numbers were also being reported in Ward 1 which, at 12:45 p.m., saw 794 votes cast, about 80 percent of 2012 and a little less than half of 2016 numbers.

Biden had a small contingent of IBEW workers, all but one from Massachusetts, who were eating pizza, and tailgating at the polls. One said he had just come from Londonderry where the turnout was quite heavy. They were the only sign holders at Ward 1.

Thirty minutes later, at Ward 10, the city's historically most conservative and highest turnout ward, 1,195 voters had cast ballots — less than half of 2016 numbers but two-thirds of 2012 turnout.

Patrick was at Ward 10, thanking supporters, speaking with a half a dozen climate change activists holding signs, and talking about food and ice cream, while shaking hands with voters. He presumed he was going to skip lunch to campaign more but an aide told him, no, he would get fed at some point during the day.

A middle-aged woman and her husband, walking into the polls, were stunned to see Patrick extending his hand.

"Are you Governor Patrick?," the woman asked

"I am," he replied, smiling, as a wire photographer took their picture.

"I loved it when you appeared on 'Finding Your Roots,'" she said, giddily.

"Thank you, that was a lot of fun," Patrick said. "Would you like a picture? If it's OK with your husband."

"Yes," she said, beaming, while her husband happily approved of the picture, cracking a joke about him having no problem with her posing more handsome men than he was, to laughs by everyone.

Ward 9 was another location without any sign holders — or signs — but 735 voters had cast ballots, slightly more than half when compared to 2016 and nearly as many voters at 2012 (802).

At 1:30 p.m., at the Bektash Temple, where Ward 8 voters cast ballots, 831 had voted — more than half when compared to 2016 and nearly as many as 2012 (888).

Tamara Colby, a ward official, was impressed with the numbers saying it was a busy half day, so far.

Previous #FITN2020 Coverage

Got a news tip? Send it to me at tony.schinella@patch.com.

View videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/tonyschinella.

Follow the New Hampshire Patch Politics Twitter account @NHPatchPolitics for all our campaign coverage.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Concord