2021: Getting out the vote?

NORWALK, Conn. – Turnout is down as voters go to the polls Tuesday.

The total number of voters who have cast ballots at the polls as of 6 p.m. was 11,183, according to Norwalk Democratic Registrar Stuart Wells. In 2019, the 6 p.m. total was 12,929.

There’s a wild card here: absentee ballots. More than 1,400 absentee ballots have come in as of 6 p.m., town clerk Rick McQuaid said. That’s more than double the number of absentee ballots two years ago.

According to Mayor Harry Riling, the overall count at 6 p.m. is roughly halfway between that of 2019 and 2017.

But voting was down at almost all the polls. Rowayton Elementary School has beaten 2019, as at 6 p.m. today the count at Rowayton was 877.

Compare that to previous 6 p.m. counts:

• Tracey Elementary: 736 in 2019, 651 today
• St. Mary’s: 584 in 2019, 486 today
• Kendall Elementary: 655 in 2019, 534 today
• Nathan Hale rear (A4): 226 in 2019, 186 today
• Columbus Magnet: 1056 in 2019, 780 today
• Nathaniel Ely/Odyssey (B2): 126 in 2019, 107 today
• Marvin Elementary: 1,241 in 2019, 1,120 today
• Nathan Hale front (C2): 1,752 in 2019, 1,431 today
• Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy: 1,188 in 2019, 1,046 today
• West Rocks Middle School: 2,246 in 2019, 1,900 today
• Brookside Elementary: 873 in 2019, 784 today
• Fox Run Elementary: 1,343 in 2019, 1,186 today

This appears to reverse a trend. In 2013, the year Democratic former Police Chief Harry Rilling challenged Republican incumbent Richard Moccia and won, the total turnout for the day was 16,520 votes cast, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. It dropped precipitously in 2015, his first challenge for reelection, but has gone up steadily since then.

• 2013: 16,520 votes cast
• 2015: 13,269 votes cast
• 2017: 14,314 votes cast
• 2019: 15,829 votes cast

The candidates are:

Mayor

• Harry Rilling, Democrat, Working Families Party (incumbent)
• Jonathan Riddle, Republican

Town Clerk

• Rick McQuaid, Republican incumbent, cross-endorsed by Democrats

Board of Education at large

(Four seats available)

• Colin Hosten, Democrat, Working Families Party(incumbent)
• Kara Baekey, Democrat, Working Families Party
• Sheri McCready Brown, Democrat, Working Families Party
• Janine Randolph, Democrat, Working Families Party
• Shirley Mosby, Independents for Norwalk
• Alex Kemeny, Independents for Norwalk
• Jody Sattler, Independents for Norwalk
• Katherine (Price) Snedaker, Independents for Norwalk

Common Council at large

(Five seats available)

• Barbara Smyth, Democrat, Working Families Party (incumbent)
• Greg Burnett, Democrat, Working Families Party (incumbent)
• Dominique Johnson, Democrat, Working Families Party (incumbent)
• Josh Goldstein, Democrat, Working Families Party
• Nora Niedzielski-Eichner, Democrat, Working Families Party
• Enrique Santiago, Republican
• Richard Bonenfant, Republican
• Matthew Merluzzi, Republican
• Lisa Brinton, Independents for Norwalk

Council District A

(Two seats available)

• David Heuvelman, Democrat, Working Families Party (incumbent)
• Nicol Ayers, Democrat
• Luis Estrella, Republican
• Chris Morales, Independents for Norwalk

Council District B

(Two seats available)

• Darlene Young, Democrat, Working Families Party (incumbent)
• Diana Révolus, Democrat, Working Families Party (incumbent)

Council District C

(Two seats available)

• Jenn McMurrer, Democrat, Working Families Party
• John Kydes, Democrat (incumbent)
• Read Auerbach, Republican
• Scott Goodwin, Independents for Norwalk

Council District D

(Two seats available)

• Tom Keegan, Republican (incumbent)
• Diane Jellerette, Democrat, Working Families Party
• Heidi Alterman, Democrat, Working Families Party
• Heather Dunn, Independents for Norwalk

Council District E

(Two seats available)

• Lisa Shanahan, Democrat, Working Families Party (incumbent)
• Tom Livingston, Democrat, Working Families Party (incumbent)
• Andrew Anello, Republican
• Heather Schneider, Independents for Norwalk

First Taxing District Commissioner

• Elsa Peterson Obuchowski (incumbent)
• Karen Doyle Lyons, Republican

First Taxing District Treasurer

• Rosa Murray, Democrat (incumbent)
• John Miller, Republican

Second Taxing District Commissioner

• Sandra Stokes, Democrat (incumbent)
• Mary Mann, Democrat (incumbent)

Second Taxing District Treasurer

• Darlene Young, Democrat (incumbent)

Third Taxing District Commissioner

• Johnnie Mae Weldon, Democrat (incumbent)
• Suzanne Buffone, Republican

Third Taxing District Treasurer

• Read Auerbach, Republican (incumbent)

Sixth Taxing District Commissioner

• Priscilla Feral, Democrat
• Andy Meyerson, Independents for Norwalk

Sixth Taxing District Treasurer

• Gilbert Kernan, Republican

Selectman

• Andy Garfunkel, Democrat (incumbent)
• Samuel Pride, Democrat (incumbent)
• Shannon O’Toole Giandurco, Republican
• Kathryn Martino, Republican
• Denise Chicatell Brown, Independents for Norwalk
• Jo Bennett, Independents for Norwalk

City Sheriff

• Bobby Burgess, Democrat (incumbent)
• Ron Paladino, Republican
• Joe Maddafari, Independents for Norwalk

Constable

(Seven seats available)

• Ernie Dumas, Democrat (incumbent)
• Jalin Sead, Democrat (incumbent)
• Beth Siegelbaum, Democrat
• Johnnie Mae Weldon, Democrat (incumbent)
• Ray Cooke, Republican (incumbent)
• Peter Bondi, Republican (incumbent)
• John Romano, Republican (incumbent)
• Frank Mauro, Republican (incumbent)
• Erik Anderson, Independents for Norwalk
• Jeff Rollings, Independents for Norwalk

City Treasurer

• Joe Tamburri, Democrat (incumbent)
• Jerry Petrini, Republican

Updated, 9 p.m.: Final version.