Springfield Polls Close At 9 pm

The parking lot at James Caldwell Elementary School was filled with SUV's and other family-friendly cars as a steady stream of Springfield residents from District 5 and 6, the majority with kids in tow, cast their votes today.

Not only were the children able to observe their parents doing their civic duty, but also many children were there to vote in an ancillary election for Springfield elementary school students.

Caldwell School was the designated polling place for Walton School students to cast their vote on which kind of special day they would prefer: Pajama Day -- Wear your favorite pajamas to school; Dress Up Day -- Dress up wearing one of your favorite fancy outfits to school; Movie Day -- Dress up as your favorite movie character and watch a movie in class; or Sports Day -- Wear your favorite sports attire to school.

Seven-year-old, Walton student Rose Coleman was there with mom Maryanne to cast her vote under the watchful eye of District Speech Therapist, Mrs. Camille Paolino.

Mrs. Paolino commented that "This long-standing practice encourages parents to vote by way of their children. At the same time children get a taste of what it's like to cast a vote for something they're interested in."

On the 'adult' side, poll workers saw a heavier than usual turnout, most likely because the budget is a 'hot' issue. One noted that people arriving at the polls with their children (presumably district students) were outnumbering those solo or in pairs by about two to one. This could possibly be a harbinger of a passed budget.