Arlington Turnout Slow But Steady

Arlington voters slowly turned out to the polls Tuesday, despite a middle-of-the-day earthquake that caused the temporary evacuation of several polling places.

The precincts that saw the highest turnout during the day were in the 31st Senate District, Arlington County Registrar Linda Lindberg said – precincts like Park Lane, Lyon Village, Madison and Marshall.

Still, the day got off to a slow start and, as is typical in elections in odd-numbered years, saw a majority of voters come to the polls simply out of a sense of civic duty.

"This is perhaps the slowest I've ever seen," said Jerry Long, a co-captain for the Cherrydale Precinct at St. Agnes Parish.

The heated race in the 31st Senate District between Arlington County Board Member Barbara Favola and attorney Jaime Areizaga-Soto did garner some attention.

"I'm not certain about the heat. I've gotten a lot of mail about it," said Robert Borgstrom outside of Fire Station 10 on Wilson Boulevard.

He added: "I always vote in every election."

John MacEachen of Cherrydale said he turned out to vote because he was "motivated" and "outraged" by that campaign, which has gotten increasingly negative.

MacEachen said the race dynamics were "in the gutter," and he blamed Areizaga-Soto.

"These fights are counterproductive. Family fights are always counterproductive," he said.

Arlington resident Richard Barr said he tried to avoid the mudslinging.

"I try to stay away from it because of the negativity,” he said. “I know the people I'm voting for. They will do a good job. They've done a good job in the past."

Despite the caustic tenor of the fight between the two Democrats, most voters Patch spoke with were optimistic that Arlington Democrats would circle the wagons to work together against Republican Caren Merrick in November.

"It's obviously been a little acrimonious," said Carol Rickard at the St. Agnes Parish polls. But Rickard was confident that "after it's over ... people will coalesce."

Mary Hynes, the vice chair for the Arlington County Board, said whoever wins, Democrats will get behind that candidate.

"Holding onto this seat is the most important thing."

Lindberg said turnout might fall short of her original 10 percent prediction. Most poll workers at precincts that had evacuated were able to take equipment outside with them, she said. Only the voters at George Mason University remained outside after the earthquake because the school had closed.

Lindberg said no problems had been reported with voting machines. She said only one complaint was received about a man distributing literature within 40 feet of the entrance to the polls – and that was a man inside The Jefferson on Taylor Street circulating a petition to get Barack Obama on the 2012 presidential primary ballot.

Boris Sanders, the chief election officer for the polls at Washington-Lee High School, blamed low turnout on the lack of a big top-of-the-ticket office like president, Senate or governor.

"It's a party primary in the middle of the summer for a state senate seat,” he said.