Election Day 2012: Voter Turnout in Canton Was 81 Percent

Please see our story about the local races here and one on the referendum results here. 

Post poll closing update

When all was said and done Wednesday, 81 percent of Canton's registered voters came out to the polls Tuesday. 

A total of 5,718, or 81 percent of the 7,079 registered voters cast ballots. (The presidential race may have higher numbers due to a law that lets people register for that vote only on Election Day) 

Moderator Lorinda Pane said officials were surprised the number was not higher after the busy start Tuesday morning. 

"It's not as good as we hoped for," Pane said shortly after the polls closed. "It got slower in the last couple of hours." 

According to the Secretary of the State numbers Canton had an 84 percent turnout four years ago. 

See how Canton voted on the town Web site. 

Earlier story 

Shortly before 8 p.m. Tuesday, 5,679, or roughly 80 percent, of Canton's 7,078 registered voters had cast ballots. 

Voting was off to a steady from 6 a.m. when the polls opened but slowed a little after noon. Shortly before 10 a.m. 1,796 had voted, approximately 25 percent of the 7,075 registered in town.

By 11:20 a.m. it was 35 percent with 2,508 casting votes. Poll workers said the lines had been steady since 6 a.m. 

At 1:30 p.m. it was 3,672, approximately 52 percent. At 4:30 p.m., it was 4,615, about 65 percent of those registered. 

The figures do include absentee ballots. 

That includes 2,158 Democrats, 2,106 Republicans, 2,744 unaffiliated and 67 other (Green, Independent, Working Families, Libertarian, etc.) 

Today, Canton voters will make their choose a president, a U.S. Senator, a U.S. Representative from the 5th District, a state Senator from the 8th District and a state Representative from the 17th District.

In addition, voters will decide whether the town should bond (essentially borrow money and pay back with interest for the following: 

On Nov. 6, voters can say yes or no to two proposals:

• A $3.615 Million track, multi-use field and parking lot improvement project at Canton High School
• $3.2 Million for partial roof replacements at the Community Center and all three schools ($2.3 Million after federal reimbursement) 

Documents related to the projects can be found on the town's web site.  

See below for information on where to go to cast your ballot and the list of candidates. We've also included how Canton voted in 2008, the year of the last presidential election, and in 2010, the last mid-term election.

Read it over, then visit your local polling station between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. to make your voice heard! And be sure to check back with Patch for updates throughout the day, including the announcement of the winners as soon as votes are tallied.

Canton Polling Station

• Canton Town Hall, 4 Market St., Collinsville

How Canton Voted in 2008 (84% Turnout)*

(D=Democrat; R=Republican; G=Green; I=Independent; WF=Working Families; CL=Connecticut for Lieberman)

PRESIDENT

• Obama-Biden (D) — 3,412 votes
• McCain-Palin (R) — 2,472 votes

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 5th DISTRICT

• Chris Murphy (D) — 2,978 votes
• David Cappiello (R) — 2,199 votes

8th SENATE DISTRICT

• Arthur House (D) — 1,959 votes (125 Working Families votes) 
• Kevin Witkos (R) — 3,599 votes 

17th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

• Brett Eisenlohr (D) — 2,017 votes (145 Working families)
• Timothy LeGeyt (R) — 3,450 votes

How Canton Voted in 2010 (69% Turnout)

(D=Democrat; R=Republican; G=Green; I=Independent; WF=Working Families; CL=Connecticut for Lieberman; SA=Socialist Action)

U.S. SENATE

• Richard Blumenthal (D) — 2,170 votes
• Linda McMahon (R) — 2,248 votes

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 5th DISTRICT

• Chris Murphy (D) — 2,399 votes (Working Families 98)
• Sam Caligiuri (R) — 2,007 votes (38 - I) 

8th SENATE DISTRICT

• Donald O'Brien (D) — 1,195 votes (54 Working Families Votes) 
• Kevin Witkos (R) — 3,292 votes

17th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

• Chris Gaffney (D) — 1,329 votes
• Timothy LeGeyt (R) — 3,195 votes

.......................................

*Results according to the Connecticut Secretary of the State's Office.