This photo of Heather Fowles, Marc Aaron Butler, Deborah Sirotkin Butler (me!) Brigid Kennedy Pfister and Aimee Coolidge was taken in Arlington during the last Town Day before Marc was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and suffered and died. It was a gorgeous day, and Ed was there, and his warm, accessible self. I would love others to share photos in this thread, and their experiences during Election Day, tomorrow 6/25/13. And whatever you all do – make sure you vote!
Please share widely!
Donald Green says
3 votes for Ed Markey via absentee ballot from our house in Reading. My compliments to the Town Clerk’s office for making this early voting a piece of cake. It was quicker than being there on election day. So to my fellow Reading Residents get out and vote. Our town has been designated a bell-weather by the Markey campaign so let’s pile it up. Of course the rest of you can join in wherever you live.
afertig says
Pollcheckers have been trained, people are out posting door hangers, and our canvass shifts are filled (though, of course, we could always use more help).
afertig says
Was voter number 68 at my precinct. That’s light but not through the floor turnout.
Jasiu says
I was the 27th voter at my precinct at 7:08 and there were others voting behind me. I assume it is the before-work rush, but it still exceed my expectations. I guess I was expecting the sound of crickets or something. 🙂
John Tehan says
Turnout was light, but we saw voters at every precinct station. My buddy Jay was poll-checking. GO MARKEY!!
Steve Stein says
and the voters were sparse. That auditorium is going to get pretty hot with no air conditioning today. One sign-holder outside – Mike Farquhar was offering clothes pins for $1, so you could hold your nose and vote. But there was no candidate name on his sign, which was otherwise characteristically verbose. I hate the guy’s politics, but admire his commitment and passion (and occasionally, his sense of humor).
SomervilleTom says
No line, and a little trouble with the optical scanner.
I don’t know how this compares to other elections — it was nothing remotely like the November 2012 election, of course.
striker57 says
Voted at 9:20 AM and was voter 114 in high-turnout area of Lynn (John Tierney stronghold). Markey sign at the polls, no Gomez sign. When you drive down Route 129 from Route 1 (toward Lynn) all you see are Markey lawn signs.
smadin says
Voted just after 9am, 8-10 other voters there when I came through.
johnk says
I was working the school bus stop (little one still in school) and made my calls driving into work. The sense was that Markey had a big lead and he would be fine. I reinforced that a Special is a crap-shoot and it’s going to be 95 degrees, so expect low turnout, votes are needed!!!!
betsey says
Voter #108 at ~10:00am. Not bad for such a small town I think…
GO MARKEY!!!
Laurel says
I voted at about 11 am, and was voter #367.
Al says
in W Peabody. Two precincts at our voting place, so probably 150 to 175 voted to that point in time at that location. However, there were no signs, no campaign workers, and not even any signs saying voting here today at entrance to school property.
AmberPaw says
224 with 57 of those absentee, per the poll worker. My daughter and I voted at that time.
Charley on the MTA says
You’re on my canvass list! LOL
Laurel says
http://www.redmassgroup.com/diary/17054/special-election-open-thread
MassMinister says
Apparently Richard Heos is on the ballot under the “Twelve Visions Party.” The home page has the most epic prose I’ve seen in a while. Have a look:
http://tvpmassachusetts.org/
AmberPaw says
Yup he came by and canvassed while I was working in my home office, with both my son and daughter here and we could tell him we ALL voted.
mike_cote says
at Ward 16: Precinct 2 in Dorchester, but there were signs for the Mayor’s Race in the Fall. Just exactly how disorganized are the Republicans, seriously?
Laurel says
That’s my guess, anyhow. I find it telling that none of the pictures on Gomez’s Facebook page supposedly showing phone bankers ever actually shows anyone but Gomez phone banking. “Army of One”? Here’s his latest pathetic “phone bank” photo: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=666319313382308&set=a.603394009674839.147873.597904680223772&type=1&theater
jkleschinsky says
In Billerica Precinct 2. I was Voter # 271 at noon. That’s 11.8% turnout among registered voters. The poll workers said there’s been a steady stream all morning. The only signs outside were a couple of Gomez law signs.
mike_cote says
so I guess the lawnsigns don’t matter. It is more just a sign of the campaign not even caring or trying in some areas.
karenc says
In case, any one wants to look at them –
2010: http://www.boston.com/news/special/politics/2010/senate/results.html
2012: http://www.boston.com/news/special/politics/2010/senate/results.html
karenc says
http://www.boston.com/news/special/politics/2012/general/mass-us-senate-election-results-2012.html
karenc says
This compares to 22% at that time in 2010.
http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2013/06/25/voters-head-the-polls-senate-special-election/6B1y49llcfhwqj5RhGvnEI/story.html
davemb says
I would guess that at least 250 of those votes are for Markey.
I did get an email from the Warren campaign at lunchtime asking whether I had voted or definitely planned to — probably one of the more usefui sorts of campaign email…
I doubt that as a town we will reach the 5300 margin we gave Coakley over Brown. The Valley was very energized in that election, but it wasn’t enough.
pratt says
From here in California I wanted to give a shout out to great fellow Democrats in my hometown on the South Shore. File this one under “Give Them No Quarter”: Long term Dems from the local Town Committee have mounted a poll checking operation in Cohasset, that GOP bastion. Oh, and yes, the town of 7,500 is the home of one Gabriel Gomez. This is the way we win elections. Concede nothing, no one precinct.
HR's Kevin says
Voted around 6:15pm. Was voter 330 or so. There were 1032 registered voters last fall. So not horrible. The poll workers said they thought the turnout was good but that is obviously relative.
There were a number of Gomez supporters hanging out by the Holy Name rotary, a popular place for political display due to the number of precincts that vote there. They waved at cars but made no effort to talk to anyone who walked by and the only people who were canvassing outside the polling place were pushing City Council or Mayoral candidates.
afertig says
Results:
Markey 389
Gomez 98
Other 3
Blanks 0
jconway says
I said Markey in 7,so far it looks like Markey in 6. I wonder how well Heos will do in Woburn, supposedly he only campaigned there and ‘knows a lotta people’
Laurel says
got 59 votes in Woburn, or 1% of the total. That is a lotta people to know, but not enough to make a dent!
jconway says
According to the Globe, losing Woburn made me nervous but Metro Boston hasn’t trickled in yet, and Gomez is still falling behind Brown in 12′ let alone Brown in 10′, but to his credit he is still running ahead of our former Governor who got soundly trounced.
jconway says
Markey has outperformed Warren in several towns,turnout higher than expected (take that Galvin!)
Christopher says
Personally, I believe that any candidate who makes the ballot should be invited to the debates. To go with the who-is-polling-sufficiently standard becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Especially for candidates with fewer resources it is crucial to get this exposure.
jconway says
Check out their website and get back to me if you still agree. It’s one thing to give the Greens and Libertarians a platform, I’d agree with you there, it’s quite another to give these money making LaRoche wannabe’s a platform to brainwash impressionable minds.
Christopher says
….but they’ve made the legal requirement of getting on the ballot. If you’ve collected your 10k signatures you should get a shot. So yes, he should have been to at least one of the debate.
AmberPaw says
Warren received 68%. Proud of Arlilngton.
jcteixeira says
Woohoo! A bigger than expected win! Congrats to all who worked so hard to make this to happen!!!!