Heavy, heavy voter turnout for Election Day from Belfast to Rockland, and beyond

Chris Wolf
Tue, 11/08/2016 - 1:15pm
A packed gym at Lncolville Central School attests to the voter turnout this election day. (Photos by Chris Wolf)
Voting in Belfast at the Boathouse.
Larry Theyer, Warden for wards 1 & 2 in Belfast
Voting Ward 5 in Belfast
Voting in Camden

    MIDCOAST — Yes, we used the word heavy twice. It will become the word for the day and seemed the appropriate way to verbalize this voting day in Maine's Midcoast area. From Belfast to Rockland both election wardens and town clerks have used that word along with "swamped," overwhelming" and "wonderful" to describe the turnout for casting ballots.

    In Belfast, Ward 5 Deputy Warden Catherine Holland and Ward 5 Warden Tina Young said that voter turnout had been good for the ward so far this morning. Ward 5 voting was held at Belfast United Methodist Church.

    Larry Theyer, warden for Wards 1 and 2 in Belfast said the turnout has been very heavy so far this morning.

    "We've been almost swamped since we opened at 7 a.m. this morning," he said. "If this keeps up, and I don't see how it can get much busier, but if it does we'll have a very large turnout."

    Karen Secotte, deputy warden for Lincolnville, said the turnout has been phenomenal.

    "It's more then I have ever seen," she said. "We opened at 8 a.m. and it has been like this right from the get-go, nonstop. We had 565 absentee voters so that leaves a lot of people who can come vote."

    Katrina Oakes, town clerk for Camden, said turnout has been excellent.

    "When we opened at 8 a.m. the lines were out the door and beyond, "she said. “Things have calmed down a little bit at the moment, but it's still a steady stream. We had nearly 1,700 people who requested absentee ballots. We processed 1,500 of them on Saturday so those folks are all set."

    Linda Greenlaw, town clerk for Rockport, and Marietta Wheaton, voter moderator and warden for the day, said voter turnout so far has been tremendous. Very, very steady.

    "It's close to what I saw four years ago and it could match it," said Wheaton. "Last time we had 82-83 percent and I anticipate the same. We processed 969 absentee ballots Saturday and Monday and we probably have 100 more to process."

    The strategy for the day is to give yourself some time to vote. Long lines at the polls can be expected. Voting polls are open statewide until 8 p.m.

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