The District’s registered voters haven’t exactly been flocking to the polls for Tuesday’s primary election. More than seven hours after the polls opened observers and precinct captains say the initial turnout is lower than past elections.
Delores Fields, the captain at Ward 4’s 48th precinct, said she thought the option to vote early during the week prior to the election might be a factor.
“People have done the early voting and the [absentee] ballots,” she said. “There’s just [been] a trickle of people coming in.”
By Monday, voters citywide had cast 1,733 absentee ballots. Another 6,051 residents voted earlt in person.
More than halfway through the day Tuesday, 268 voters had filed a ballot at Fields’ precinct. Fields, who has been working elections for more than a decade, said the lowest turnout she has seen at her station has been in the 600s.
Other precincts in Wards 4 and 1 reported even fewer ballot totals. In Ward 4, Councilwoman Muriel Bowser is up for re-election against a smattering of challengers. Ward 1’s Councilman Jim Graham isn’t up for re-election, but voters there are also making their picks for the city-wide at-large seat now held by Councilman Vincent Orange. Orange faces two challengers in the Democratic primary election.
Some captains believe they’ll get busier as the day goes on.
“It’ll definitely pick up later, around 4 [p.m.] to 7 [p.m.] for the after work crowd,” said Rollie Zeigler, the captain at precinct 42.
