The Springfield election on Tuesday cost $21,250, or about $15.91 per vote cast.
SPRINGFIELD – The price of democracy was rather steep in Springfield on Tuesday.
The preliminary election on Tuesday cost approximately $21,250, or about $15.91 per vote cast, Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola said Friday.
The election featured just two City Council races in Wards 1 and 5, and spurred a total of 1,335 voters to go to the polls in those wards, or 5.1 percent of registered voters. The $21,250 spent by the city included poll workers, police officers and materials, needed regardless of whether there is a low or high turnout, Oyola said.
“The turnout in the city preliminary was discouragingly low,” Oyola said. “Turnout in general elections is historically higher and with the large number of contests on the ballot on Nov. 5, I expect that turnout will increase a great deal.”
The turnout in Ward 5 on Tuesday was under 3 percent — the lowest turnout for that ward in memory, Oyola said. The ward consists of sections of Pine Point and Sixteen Acres.
At one poll location — the High School of Science and Technology — a total of 42 votes were cast before polls closed at 8 p.m. The poll location is for two precincts, 5A and 5B, and there were 12 poll workers and one police officer on duty, Oyola said.
The incumbent, Councilor Clodovaldo Concepcion was the highest vote-getter in Ward 5, with 246 votes, and will be joined on the Nov. 5 ballot by second place finisher Michael Belanger with 85 votes. One candidate was eliminated, Kyle Burns with 46 votes.
Concepcion said he believes there were many voters not even aware that it was Election Day due to the limited races. The election should be advertised more, but “overall, what are you going to do?” he said.
In the Ward 1 council race, Jose L. Claudio was the highest vote-getter with 406 votes, followed by the incumbent, Zaida Luna with 360 votes. The other two candidates got 114 and 73 votes respectively and were eliminated.
Oyola said that cities throughout the country have seen a decline in voter turnout especially in local elections.
Ward 1 in Springfield typically has a significantly lower turnout than Ward 5, but that was reversed Tuesday, with Ward 1 (North End and downtown) having a 7.2 percent turnout, Oyola said.
There was much more campaign activity and efforts to get out the vote in Ward 1, she said.
Her office will continue to promote voter turnout through the media, and has also worked with FOCUS Springfield Community Television to create a bilingual “how to vote” video that will be broadcast on the public access channel before the Nov. 5 election, Oyola said.
“We are also looking into other ideas that would more directly reach voters in a cost-effective manner,” she said.