Primary Day in Delaware

Filed in Delaware by on September 11, 2012

Well, the polls are now open.  Go out and vote, then report back with any observations.

This is now an open thread for polling place reports for the day and predictions.

Polls close at 8PM.  If you don’t know where to vote, look it up here.

And once the polls close, come on out to Timothy’s on the Wilmington waterfront for some liberal libations and to watch the returns come in.

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  1. liberalgeek says:

    I was placing signs at polling places at 5AM. In most places, only KSpan signs were already there. His people placed them last night (they were there when I spot-checked at 11PM).

  2. reis says:

    Yet again, hanging out with cool people and beer ignores the existence of ‘below the canal’.

  3. jim center says:

    Is this an open primary? I’m registered “unaffiliated. Can I vote in the primary?

  4. geezer says:

    Jim: No.

  5. Jason330 says:

    Kovach will win easily, but he could be worried this morning. When I voted and saw a bunch of important races on the Democratic side of the voting machine, then looked over at the Republican side and saw just Kovach v. Izzo – I thought, that’s not good for Kovach.

  6. Delaware Dem says:

    I was voter #3 at Aldersgate on Concord Pike at 7 am. There was no line behind and no voters coming in as I left.

  7. kavips says:

    For what is is worth, here is another endorsement of Shahan. My mind didn’t get made up until yesterday, and from another thread on this Delaware Liberal it appears a lot of other’s minds were too… Against normal protocol, I’ll put a link up just in case it helps garner one or two more votes from those out there whose thought process is still churning… . 🙂

    http://kavips.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/long-road-leads-to-shahan/

    May God help us all..

  8. Delaware Dem says:

    I voted: Spanarelli, Crane, Shahan, Taschner.

  9. pandora says:

    Park View (18th and Broom) was pretty busy at 7:30. Tons of greeters and a steady stream of voters entering the building.

  10. Delaware Dem says:

    Also, at Aldersgate, besides that huge Katz sign (which is odd since his district does not cover lower Concord Pike any more), there were not many signs to be seen A “Vote September 11” Gordon sign was there, but it looks more like an official DOE sign since the Gordon type is so small.

  11. LNCC says:

    It would be good and give some insight for today, to see who has the best “GOTV” effort. It all comes down to Who gets Their voters to the polls. There has been one campaign , from observation, that has tried to get their name out in different Media , probably on a low budget, which is the right thing to do for any campaign.

  12. AQC says:

    I’ve been out to all polling places in the 18th and have seen a total of one greeter, 7 or 8 voters and almost no signs. Where the heck are these campaigns. I voted in the city at 7:10 and no signs or volunteers there either.

  13. JohnnyX says:

    Voted at the Nur Temple near the 13/40 split about 20 after 8. No one voting when I arrived, a neighbor from up the street came in just as I was leaving.

    Signs outside that I remember seeing included Taschner, Clark, Gallagher & Shahan. No representatives of any campaign anywhere to be found.

    My voting line was the same as DelDem: Spanarelli, Crane, Shahan, Taschner. And my wife plans to vote the same later today.

  14. Katie says:

    I live next to a polling place in the city. When I left this am at 745 there were no signs to be seen and the building didn’t seem much busier than a normal day. Hope to see more turnout when I vote after work. Live in the city? VOTE KEVIN KELLEY!

  15. X Stryker says:

    Scott’s and Anderson’s people are out in force at the Carvel building. Hope that doesn’t mean an upset.

  16. college says:

    just voted in the 6th RD, no volunteers, but there were a few signs. hoping that townsend and crane pull it out. i voted for spanarelli on a spur of the moment decision because i like his ideas, but i really should have voted for carper. he may be the “establishment” candidate and too comfortable in his seat for you guys, but he’s a) engaged with voters, b) may not be a visible face in the senate but he gets things done, and c) he’s a reliable vote. he may be on the more conservative side of the democratic party, but both parties need more level headed moderates and less talking heads, and carper fits the first description well.

  17. CR says:

    I voted in the 25th RD a little after 7 AM. I think I was the first to vote there. It looked like they were going to have more staff than voters all day. No reps outside, and just one sign (Carper). I went over to a 23rd RD polling place and saw lots of signs, 2 Baumbach reps, and an unenthusiastic Gallagher rep who didn’t actually care. Turnout was about 2 and hour. Then I swung by the Newark Library and saw a few signs but no reps. I’ll take a look again later there. In the evening I may go to another 23rd RD location with two election districts in it, to see how that’s doing with the after-work crowd.

  18. V says:

    At Aldersgate about an hour after DelDem I was still the only voter. There was one greeter outside in a chair for Paul Gallagher.

  19. JTF says:

    Pretty light out there when I voted this morning… voted for Carper, Clark, Crane, Taschner

  20. John Young says:

    I voted in my first Democratic Primary in my life today.

    I voted: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_ballot#United_States

  21. Linda says:

    Voted @ Newark High School I was the only voter @ 9:30. Lots of signs for most of the candidates. Only one greeter outside with Gordon t-shirt on. Ladies that work the polls were gracious enough to let me know that all of my four daughters had come in to vote LOL . . . those poll volunteers have been there forever!!!

  22. auntie dem says:

    Voted at 10:00 at North Star Elementary — 22nd RD — where there was a steady stream of voters. The poll worker said it had been steady all morning.

  23. j marie says:

    Paul Clark is greeting voters at Elsmere Town Hall. Good turn out there. I voted Spanarelli, Crane, Shahan and Bullock.

  24. Voted at about 8am at Mount Pleasant Elementary (Still not 100% sure why they moved my polling place from the Brandywine Hundred Fire Co, 3 blocks from my house, but whatever..). I was the only voter there, but I was glad to see Councilman Cartier’s wife out there bright and early with a sign and a cup of coffee. There were also, I believe, 2 Shahan people with signs.

  25. cassandra m says:

    Reported from a volunteer at PS DuPont — Dennis Williams and Scott Spencer in a shouting match. Then the Williams van driving around blaring something from the loudspeaker.

  26. cassandra m says:

    I voted at Quaker hill Place Apartments at 9:15 or so. Light stream of people there. But apparently lots of folks at PS and lots of folks at Immanuel.

  27. Dana Garrett says:

    I voted this morning after 8:00. I was the only person inside voting, but I saw Senator Peterson outside talking to someone. I listened to WDEL in the car and heard Allen Loudell interview a voter. She said that she voted for Shahan.

  28. Amazing says:

    Coming back to town tonight to vote for KSpan. I can’t believe Carper hasn’t even been challenged in 20 years.

  29. waverly says:

    Light turnout at First Unitarian….only a few people there at 9AM with very little activity coming or going.

    DEL DEM: Katz signs on 202….his area covers Fairfax and the entire area west of 202…you guys better get on board and support him or you are going to end up with an extreme right wing freak in his place…Lavelle is just as extreme as Clatworthy…

  30. mediawatch says:

    Only me and the poll workers at First Unitarian at noon.

  31. liberalgeek says:

    I’m hearing about a huge Bullock GOTV effort with UAW people in Middletown. Also, some reports of African-American ministers making phone calls for Bullock.

    They are also doing lit drops for Bullock/Gordon/KWS.

  32. Dana Garrett says:

    I got a call for Bullock this morning. I also heard that some Clark people are passing out literature at polling places about Gordon, depicting a jail cell with the word ‘Indicted’ printed across it. I’m confident the present tense is intended.

  33. george says:

    If voters are still undecided when they show up at the polls, it’s unlikely they’ll take the time to read literature that’s being passed out or to deliberate on who would be the best choice. That’s especially true for people who take a brief time off from work to vote.

  34. John says:

    Just voted at the Music School. There was a decent crowd, but I was most surprised at the large number of lazy, rude volunteers. Nnamdi’s people were sitting in lawn chairs holding signs. They said nothing to me when I entered. When I left one man said, “I hope you voted for Nnamdi”. Bovell’s were the worst. Guy tried to hand me his card after I voted. I said, “No thanks” and he says, “well give it to a friend. Or keep it. You might need this man some day.” Glad I didn’t vote for him (not that the thought ever crossed my mind).

  35. Jimmy m says:

    Voted at brandywine springs early stayed and talked for 2 hrs. Slow turnout but most I talked to voted Bill Dunn 7-3 as did I .

  36. Mike Matthews says:

    Was at PS DuPont. Too many candidates driving around blaring shit from loudspeakers. One teacher got ticked off and said DCAS testing is going on and to please stop.

  37. puck says:

    Who the eff scheduled DCAS on Election Day?

  38. John Tobin says:

    At Zion Lutheran on Lancaster Ave in Wilmington for 3 hours this morning and light turnout. Left about 12:30 pm and there was no lunch time rush of voters. Trickle s of ones and twos all morning.

  39. I had the pleasure of shaking Paul Baumbach’s hand just before going in to vote at the Newark/Elkton Road Aetna Fire Station.

    How is it that there was no logistics applied to the ballot listings?

    The DEM party-endorsed candidates took the prime spot for NCC Exec, NCC Council Pres, IC but not for State Rep?

    Paul Baumbach was the sole party endorsed candidate listed second.

    Is this a sure sign that there’s something off-key within the Department of Elections? The public trust is violated by such contortions to a ballot that is supposed to be for all party voters.

    Next time I hope the Commissioner of Elections demands that a uniformity of ballot presentation be used – alpha order preferably.

  40. liberalgeek says:

    It’s quite possible that Paul wasn’t endorsed until late in the process. Also, he was endorsed by his RD committee, not necessarily by the party at large.

  41. Volunteered for Townsend, early shift, at Leasure Elementary School. Pretty slow. I was the only checker inside the polls, Gordon and DeLuca volunteers passing out lit outside. Gov. Jack Markell, YOUR Democratic governor, shaking hands along with DeLuca at another polling place in the 11th. Spare me the ‘Jack is only doing the bare minimum’ crap.

    Voted in Arden. Was told that it was a steady stream of voters, but Arden always votes disproportionately heavy. KSpan/Crane/Shahan/Taschner/Cartier.

  42. SussexWatcher says:

    I thought ballots were either printed alphabetically or randomized.

  43. SussexWatcher says:

    “indicted” is also past tense, Dana.

  44. Peter Lanken says:

    Nancy: You are so full of it. The link below is the ballot for your polling place. As you can see, Paul is first, not second. All names are alpha by surname. Let’s see how late you are on your school taxes this year? I say at least six months.

    http://electionsncc.delaware.gov/polling_places/2012/pri_sam/pri038.pdf

  45. AQC says:

    Anyone hear anything about the Bennett placeholder race?

  46. Delaware Dem says:

    No, but I pray that McGlumphy wins.

  47. So nice to put a face to an known ass, Pete….http://www.weldonalley.ca/photos/kate.html

    If I was wrong, it was because the ballot areas weren’t separated by distinct lines. It was one big darkened blur of medium green on green in an unlit fire hall behind a thick canvas. I had to check several times to see if I had even checked the correct box. My bad if my impression take away was faulty. Doesn’t excuse Mr. Lanken’s personal attack.

  48. SussexWatcher says:

    … says the woman who knows from personal attacks.

  49. Is this personal enough for you, SW:

    So. Where’s the DL snark about Mitch Crane providing decades-old photos of himself to promote his campaign in the gay community press? Check it out: Photo courtesy of Mitch Crane, that’s at least twenty years old if not more, provided for a Sept. 5th article about his IC race in the Washington Blade – “America’s leading gay news source”.

    Come on guys, get with it, that’s one of your favorite topics of attack….on KWS. Do I sense a gender bias here?

    http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/09/05/gay-man-seeks-to-become-delawares-next-insurance-commissioner/

    Also see Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.

    No, the haters here aren’t hypocrites.

  50. Delaware Dem says:

    Tell me Nancy, how much does Karen pay you? Or are you just supporting KWS simply because she is a woman no matter Democratic principles.

    And decades old? That pic is no doubt five years old but not decades (imply multiple decades, i.e. 20 years).

  51. Delaware Dem says:

    Paul Clark’s campaign just called me to remind me that its primary day and if I needed a ride to the polls to please ask. He must be panicking.

  52. j marie says:

    Del Dem- Clark seemed really uncomfortable in Elsmere this morning. He doesn’t have good presence and seemed strained to say hello and mingle with everyone walking by. Granted, I most likely shocked him when he asked how my day was and to please to vote for him and I stated with a big ole grin “my day is going good, but will be better when Bill Shahan wins tonight.” teehee.

  53. Paula says:

    Voted (with Mom) at Mary Campbell Center (NCC ED 7) at around 2 pm. We were the only two there, but someone came in after us. Poll workers said it’s been a trickle all day, not a lot of people but more than they expected.

    I love it when they lead you to the booth and then call out, “Paula [Lastname] is voting!” It feels so . . . participatory.

    They said there were no challengers so far. A full display of signs when you turn into the center, but no one out front but residents and visitors enjoying the weather.

  54. Brooke says:

    We worked our polling place as greeters most of the day. You know your day sux when it turns out a sunburn was the high point.