Melrose Election Results 2012: See How Melrose Voted

UNOFFICIAL 2012 MELROSE ELECTION RESULTS

Obama-Biden

Elizabeth Warren

Ed Markey

Scott Brown (R), Elizabeth Warren (D): U.S. Senate

Scott Brown has represented Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate since a January 2010 special election held to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the late Ted Kennedy. Brown defeated state Attorney General Martha Coakley with 1,168,107 votes, or 51.9 percent, to her 1,058,682 votes, or 47.1 percent.

Ed Markey (D), Tom Tierney (R): 5th Congressional District

Ed Markey has been the Congressman representing Winchester for the past 36 years. He faces off against Tom Tierney, a 69-year-old consulting actuary and consumer activist. In 2010, Markey defeated Republican Gerry Dembrowski by about a 2-to-1 margin.

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Melrose Updates From The Polls

Good luck voting!

@6:30 p.m.: An election day work in the City Clerk's office said there was a lull in the afternoon hours, but noted the after work crowd is "steadily coming in." Voter tallies are currently unavailable, according to the election worker.

@5:30 p.m.: Updates from Melrose City Hall from Jonathan Pickering:

Updates From Melrose City Hall

Swinging into Melrose City Hall from 4 to 5:30 p.m., the epicenter of the Melrose election is both apparent in votes and out spoken voters. Around 4 p.m. there were already 1,400 plus votes on the twin ballot machines with more voters streaming in every minute. Still though, it was over a dozen to one of elderly or middle-aged voters to youth voters. 

Officials from the Official

Speaking with Election Administrator, Linda-Lee Angiolillo; the Election Office has had one heck of a day. 

"Things are going smoothly, very, very busy, but steady," Angiolillo said, adding that she was zipping around City Hall making last-minute preparations for the big after work push that began to hit as the hour passed five.

Angiolillo explained that the office soon expected lines out the doors. Officially, the polls close at 8 p.m., if you show up later than that, sorry, you can't vote. Anyone in line, who got in line before 8, can still vote, the line won't be cut short. However, once the Town Warden drops the gavel at 8 p.m. exactly, if you aren't in line, you'll have to wait another four years.

Final Thoughts Run the Gamut

Janet Aguilar, 40, of Winter Street, didn't have much to say about the candidates, but instead wanted to give her two cents about the overall voting process when she stated, "I wish this process for running [for President] was shorter which allows less of the damage of a lengthy campaign. Think about all that money spent. We need that for the country."

The rare Massachusetts Romney voter, fully aware she is a unique breed in the Bay State turned out in the form of 39-year-old Faye DeForrest from Upham Street. DeForrest said, "Basically, I came out to vote to vote for change, although I feel the electoral college doesn't really represent the popular vote. I'm a little disgusted. [Republican] votes in Massachusetts are pretty much meaningless."

Lastly, Jane Fabiano, 45, also of Winter Street, a single-mother and grandmother, expressed what many voters backing the President have landed on when casting another vote for the President when she said, "Romney taking away all those social programs, what will things come to? [...] Romney seems he's trying to take away from the poor and give to the rich and the poor need more help."

As the fateful hour nears, Melrose and the rest of the nation awaits their final verdict.

@3:45 p.m.: Updates from Jonathan Pickering at the Hoover Elementary School:

Quiet on the Hoover Front

Things over at the Hoover School for Ward 7 were busy earlier in the day, but by 3:30 p.m. things slowed considerably. Still, Hoover boasts some 620 plus votes and counting as voters continue to trickle in.

Another bake sale, this time for the Hoover School's 5th grade class trip to Environmental Camp in Ocean Park, Maine, has hungry voters ponying up some dough for fresh baked goods.

Manning the table were two women, April Kotugno and her daughter Alexandra. Although it was quiet in the afternoon at the Hoover, April expressed what has been on many voters minds for months now when she said, "all those ads, oh God, I'm just glad it's almost over."

Where's the Youth Vote?

Once again, it seemed that voting was dominated by Melrose's middle-aged and elderly residents, coming in almost a dozen to one for everyone voter who was between 20 and 30. With the same trend now showing up across three different polling stations over the course of the day, it forces this reporter to ask: Where are all the young voters who were such a prominent factor in the 2008 election?

If Melrose is the standard for the youth vote across the nation, then numbers seem dismal for the millennial generation's turnout.

What this means for the overall election waits to be seen but could be a sign of a lost demographic from the huge youth votes the President got last time around.

Climate Change and Money - Two Issues Connected For One Couple

One of the lesser discussed items throughout this election season was climate change, its causes, affects and education. Two Melrose Ward 7 voters, Lisa and Ramsey Trimble, 53 and 61, thought this issue was one of the most important factors of why to vote for the incumbent Obama who they see as being more progressive on the issue.

"Where do we live?" Trimble asked rhetorically. "We live in our environment and it's a major issue, it shouldn't be a partisan issue but that is what we have."

Soon after, Lisa said, "The cost is so great just from an economic stand point, the cost of hurricanes and tornadoes and everything." 

Commenting on the freakish occurrences she has noticed in Melrose she believes is evidence of climate change, Lisa said, "I have tulips in March! I've never had tulips in March."

Before parting ways, Ramsey offered another overlooked principal concerning the electorates' power - money. 

"Don't think you can't do anything. People think they are powerless, but they aren't, we vote everyday, with this," Ramsey said, holding up a dollar bill. "When we put down a dollar we buy all the pollution and global warming and everything that goes with it."

@1:30 p.m.: Updates from the polling place located at the Lincoln Elementary School from Jonathan Pickering:

Voting At Lincoln Elementary School

At Lincoln Elementary School, with over 400 votes already in, Ward 5 voters were greeted by a bake sale and raffle table run by high school freshmen Lexi Thimble and Thea Burke who, along with the rest of Melrose High, got the day off. With a few hundred dollars in the till already for Lincoln there is still debate over who will win the election, but one thing is certain, the chili is a hit.

Now down to business. 

As with polls at the Beebe, it was mainly the elderly and middle-aged who showed up at Lincoln to vote with just a smattering of Melrose youth present.

One of those young voters was Julia G., a 24-year old single mother from East Wyoming Street who expressed disdain for the entire process given what she saw as the choice between the lesser of two evils. Due to this ideal, Julia was ultimately compelled to vote for Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson. 

"I don't like either of them [Obama or Romney]," the young mother stated, soon relating what her and millions of other Americans feel is a major factor this election season. "I feel both don't speak to [my] generation [...] Especially the debt we carry, it's sad. I don't want to leave it for my son. Nobody has an answer to the debt, they are just for themselves."

Warren Supporters at Lincoln

One constant at Lincoln was the support for senate candidate Elizabeth Warren. Nancy and Philip Newmark, 66 and 75 of Mount Vernon Street both showed their support for the former attorney.

Nancy said she voted for Warren because of her, "democratic policies, ideals, beliefs. I don't think Scott Brown is good for the state and certainly not the supporter of women he pretends to be."

Husband Philip followed up that he liked Warren because, "she is [the] better candidate for Massachusetts. The [insurance] situation in this country needs intelligent, thoughtful appraisal and I was upset by how Brown voted for the Blunt Amendment and doesn't want to allow medical support for women."

Obama Supporter Also Vocal at Lincoln

Obama supporter Peggy Newmark, 69, of Mount Vernon Street came out to cast her vote for Obama because of his connection with the middle class, they way Republicans have treated the President legislatively and for a notorious campaign trail gaffe, "I think [Obama is] more for the middle man and did a great job his first two years. He did a lot of things people tend to forget about [...] His last two years, Republicans blocked everything he tried to do so I wouldn't vote for them. Also, anyone who puts a dog on top of their car, I couldn't vote for them."

Voting Services at Lincoln Praised

75 year old Aaron Street resident, Peter Sartwell, had nothing to say about how or why he voted, but instead wanted to express his appreciation for the often overlooked efforts of the volunteers at Lincoln. 

A 25 year regular, voting at the school, Sartwell explained the voting system at Lincoln is, "beautifully run, I never have any problems. The people are so patient and deal with enormous incompetence, people not knowing how to vote." 

@11:30 a.m.: Here's a report from polling places in Melrose Patch freelance reporter Jonathan Pickering:

Voting at Beebe

Lines of voters spilled out the side entrance to the Beebe School Tuesday morning, according to Melrose Police Officer Lenny Ford, who helped the throngs of middle-aged and elderly voters who made up the majority of early voters, making their way to the polls for Ward Three, precincts one and two.

"People lined up outside before we were even open at 7 a.m.," Ford explained.

Unfortunately, as buses from local senior centers and other areas of the city escorted the elderly to the polls, Ford and the rest of the officials down at the Beebe had a scare this morning concerning one of these older residents.

An unnamed 86-year old woman, soon after casting her vote, complained of chest pains and an EMT rescue unit was dispatched. The elderly woman was stable and talking as she was wheeled out on a gurney and taken to a nearby hospital for observation.

Comments from Voters

Two outspoken citizens had something to say about this special Tuesday after voting at the Beebe.

Terry Doherty, 56, of Lynde Ave., and owner of Melrose Plumbing and Heating offered the following support for the Romney campaign and his infamous 47 percent quote when he claimed: "My main concern is that if you're one of the 53 percent that actually pay federal taxes your children are already indebted to the federal government $140,000  [...] why in God's name would I vote for a President who added five trillion dollars to our national debt? That's one-third of our national debt."

Another resident, Lalani Thompson, 38 of Tappen St., wasn't prepared to divulge any information on who she voted for her or why, but rather, her comments centered around another issue that comes up every election season: voter registration problems.

Thompson said that after having to re-register her license at the RMV this year, she was told she was registered to vote. When she encountered census people at her home earlier in the year, she was informed she wasn't register. Thompson and her son readily registered again on the spot.

Hitting the polls today, Thompson was shocked to find out, she still wasn't registered and officials had to go through three binders full of inactive voters to find her and allow her to vote. Stranger still was that Thompson's son, whom she registered with personally, was registered while she remained off the list.

"They said it must be a loss of paper work, but that sounds a little odd," Thompson. "It turned out okay, but if I was older and I couldn't get around, this could be a problem."

@8:30 a.m.: Melrosians are already tweeting about long lines at the city's polling places. "I have voted at the same place at around the same time in Melrose every election,Today=longest line I have ever waited in," Craig Foster tweeted.

Meanwhile, John Preziosa tweeted: "I have not seen a larger turnout at my local voting station in my 11 years as a Melrose resident."