A small number of voters show up for Massachusetts State Primaries

(Here is a piece I wrote for my news and reporting class on the Massachusetts State Primaries)

BOSTON – The Cummington Street voting site for the 2010 Massachusetts State Primaries had a low outcome of voters this year, with only six people coming out to vote by 5 p.m. this past Tuesday.

“It’s always a disappointment when not many people show up to vote, but it’s not such a big surprise,” said Mark D. Trachtenberg, the warden in charge of the 111 Cummington Street polling location.

“It’s a rather oddball scenario this year given that there is no contest on the Democratic side,” stated Trachtenberg.

111 Cummington was turned into a voting hall on Tuesday, September 14, with two tables each separated into four smaller sections designated as voting booths.

“I think some people miss the concept of pulling a lever when voting, especially when there was a curtain for privacy and everything. But after the whole recount in Florida that took place in the 2000 presidential election, the process we now have just proves a lot more efficient,” said Trachtenberg.

After filling out their ballot, voters must enter it through a portal that mechanically counts the number of votes filed for each candidate.

“I don’t think the voting process has anything to do with today’s low turnout,” said Trachtenberg. “There’s always a drop-off between the local elections and the state elections in November. Last year we had about 600 voters come out in November.”

Trachtenberg, who has been a warden since 2000, started off working the polls at the
Alexander Hamilton School in Brighton, MA. He voted at the Copley Library prior to his shift at Cummington, and recalled there were less people coming out to vote than in years past.

There were five people on call Tuesday at the Cummington location from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. when the polls closed. Along with Warden Trachtenberg there was a clerk, two inspectors, and one police officer to make sure all operations ran smoothly.

“It’s of course been pretty quite here, but I’ll read or flip through the newspaper to keep myself busy,” said Trachtenberg.

No voters showed up between the hours of 3-5 p.m., and before this time only six people passed through 111 Cummington to place their votes.