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GRAFTON, Mass. – Only 552 Grafton voters turned out for the Massachusetts State Primary, a tally Town Clerk Maureen Clark believes may be an historic low for the town.
The voter apathy, Clark said, was likely driven by two factors: voters tend not to turn out for primaries and there were no actual races on the ballot, save a runoff between incumbent U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern and Willam Feegbeh of Worcester. With Feegbeh a virtually invisible candidate, McGovern won Grafton's votes handily, taking 297 votes to Feegbeh's 29.
"I knew it was not going to be that high, but there was almost no turnout," Clark said. "I'm curious. I'm going to look at primary numbers, because I don't think we've ever had a turnout this low."
Grafton has about 11,500 registered voters, meaning only 4.8 percent actually came out to vote. Democrats cast 334 ballots, Republicans 217 and only a single Green Party ballot was cast.
"This basically helped us figure out the new polling places before the November election, and that's not going to be a slow day," Clark said. Grafton now has two polling places: Precincts 1, 2 and 3 at Grafton Middle School, Precincts 4 and 5 at Millbury Street Elementary School.
Democrats
U.S. Senator: Elizabeth A. Warren of Cambridge 274
U.S. Representative, 2nd District: James P. McGovern (incumbent, 3rd District) of Worcester 297
William Feegbeh of Worcester 29
Councillor: no candidate
Senator in General Court: Michael O. Moore of Millbury 293
Representative in General Court: No candidate
Clerk of Courts: Dennis P. McManus (incumbent) of West Boylston 273
Register of Deeds: Anthony J. Vigiliotti (incumbent) of Worcester 276
Republicans
U.S. Senator: Scott P. Brown (incumbent) of Wrentham 215
U.S. Representative: No candidate
Councillor: Jennie L. Caisse (incumbent) of Oxford 166
Senator in General Court: Stephen R. Simonian of Auburn 140
Representative in General Court: George N. Peterson Jr. (incumbent) of Grafton 208
Clerk of Courts: No candidate
Register of Deeds: No candidate
Precinct totals
Precinct 1
Democrats 76
Republicans 49
Total 125
Precinct 2
Democrats 84
Republicans 52
Total 136
Precinct 3
Democrats 48
Republicans 36
Total 84
Precinct 4
Democrats 59
Republicans 48
Green 1
Total 108
Precinct 5
Democrats 67
Republican 32
Total 99
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