Voters at the primary polls know today is 'the day to pick your DA'
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The race to succeed Elizabeth Scheibel as Northwestern district attorney seems to be the major factor driving voter turnout in Hampshire County in today's primary elections.
Voters interviewed today outside their respective polling places in Northampton, Amherst, and Easthampton said it was the contest between district attorney hopefuls Michael Cahillane and David Sullivan that drew them to the polls.
"That's the big one today," said Easthampton resident Anne Grygorcewicz outside White Brook Middle School, where she said she had just voted.
Both candidates are Democrats, so whoever emerges the winner today will almost certainly be voted the county's next district attorney in November.
"This is their November," said polling warden Jose Bayron, stationed at the Northampton Senior Center's polls this afternoon.
Meanwhile, early morning voter turnout had clerks and election workers predicting a slow day. Voters generally turn out in fewer numbers for primary elections, noted Easthampton City Clerk Barbara LaBombard.
But LaBombard predicted that the DA race could mean as high as 20 percent turnout in Easthampton.
"They're both well known and well respected," she said. "It's normally very slow, but this will make for a heavier turnout."
Northampton City Clerk Wendy Mazza said that her early predictions of 25 percent turnout were probably too high. By noon, she had tempered them down to 15 percent.
She said that the DAs race was what seemed to be attracting voters.
"Especially with this particular race, the DA's race, this is it," Mazza said. "Today's the day to pick your DA."
Voters speak out
In Northampton, Renna Pye, who said she doesn't vote in every primary election, showed up to vote at the polls at Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School Tuesday because she had been talking to friends about the vote to select a new district attorney.
"There's a lot of enthusiasm for Sullivan," Pye said of her candidate.
But both camps were well-represented at the Northampton and Easthampton polls Tuesday. Nearly all political sign-holders were stumping for either Cahillane or Sullivan, rather than other contested races on the ballot, such as state treasurer and state auditor.
Phil Williams was holding a sign for Cahillane Tuesday morning outside Easthampton High School.
A longtime friend of Cahillane, Williams said his candidate is experienced and would have a strong stance against animal abuse.
"These people get it too easy sometimes," Williams said.
Nearby, Easthampton resident Mary Carey (no relation to Sullivan's campaign manager of the same name) called Sullivan "Ethical and hardworking."
"He's a guy that gets the job done," Carey said.
The fact that both candidates in the most heavily watched primary race are Democrats tripped up some Republican voters today, Bayron said. "We've had people kind of disappointed because they're registered as Republicans and can't vote for DA," Bayron said.
Amherst residents Jennifer and Scott Kaplan of South Pleasant Street, who arrived at the polls at the Bangs Community Center shortly after noon, said that the race between Cahillane and Sullivan motivated them to vote.
"It's pretty much the most significant vote, since no Republican is running," Jennifer Kaplan said.
Though the Kaplans wouldn't divulge how they voted, Scott Kaplan said he feels it is a critical contest because of Scheibel's actions.
"A number of high-profile decisions by the outgoing district attorney has made it an important office," he said.
Joanne Kayser of Greenleaves Drive was also prompted to cast a ballot in the Democratic primary because of that particular race.
"I came out for the district attorney," said Kayser. She said she voted for Sullivan after educating herself by reading articles about the two candidates.
She was particularly concerned with Scheibel's office bringing charges against former University of Massachusetts student Jason Vassell following a stabbing incident and the so-called "pottygate" incident in which a grand jury was convened to investigate after a clerk magistrate asked a court officer to retrieve a rest room key from the prosecutors' office suite at the Franklin-Hampshire Juvenile Court.
"I think it's time for a change in the administration. I've been turned off by some of the activities of the current district attorney," Kayser said.
Town Clerk Sandra Burgess said she wouldn't have turnout numbers until polls closed at 8 p.m., but said the state's estimate of a 20 percent turnout seemed to be a good prediction.
"I would have to agree it will be around there," Burgess said.
The town's 10 precincts appeared to have only a trickle of voters during the lunch hour. In fact, Kayser noted she was just the 103rd person to vote in Precinct 5.
Amherst resident Martha Waldron of Northampton Road said voting is a right she exercises no matter how interesting the ballot or how many people are predicted to vote.
"I always vote because I think it's important," Waldron said. "It's especially important for the Democrats."
She said she believes it is crucial to vote particularly when the country is facing challenges.
"I think were at a tough time as a country, and it's important to follow the things we've set out to do and support the people we've put in office," Waldron said.
Voters seemed to have less enthusiasm about other races.
Jennifer Kaplan said she usually relies on League of Women Voters-published election guides to learn more about all the candidates, but didn't have such a guide for today's election.
"There were a lot of unfamiliar names on the ballot, and there were a couple I left blank because of it," she said.
