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Controversial issues cause little change in voter turnout
By Paul Crossman
There were many controversial issues on both county and town levels — such as the move of the county Department of Social Services, Ockawamick, and Kinderhook/Stuyvesant fire coverage — which have become hot topics of debate over the past year, but regardless of this, voter turnout has remained relatively unchanged since 2007 in Columbia County.
Though the turnout has remained steady for the 2009 election season, there was a slight rise from 2007 in several towns such as Kinderhook, which had more controversial elections, and a decrease in others, like the city of Hudson citywide races. Hudson’s decrease in the number of voters from 2007 was probably due to the fact that incumbent Mayor Richard Scalera ran unopposed in this election, whereas in 2007 he ran against both Linda Mussman and J. Michael O’Hara.
In the vast majority of towns in the county, the voter turnout stayed nearly even with the previous election, very rarely dropping, and then only by a small margin.
In other towns like Kinderhook though, where challenger Pat Grattan battled long-time incumbent Supervisor Doug McGivney, the turnout increased by just under 200 voters — a marginal increase, considering the entire voter turnout was around 2,700.
In smaller town elections like Canaan, voter turnout either remained steady or rose slightly regardless of the fact that in Canaan only the position of town supervisor was contested.
“We had over 500 people come out to vote,” said former supervisor Gary Flaherty, who lost his bid for election this year. “500 is a lot to come out with only one contested candidate.”
The two towns with the largest percentage drop in voter turnout seem to have been Ancram, with a decrease of 249 votes from 526 in 2007, to 277 in 2009, and Copake with a decrease of 178 votes from 1,120 in 2007, to 942 in 2009.
Virginia Martin, the Democratic Commissioner of Elections in Columbia County said that overall voter turnout and trends had not yet been looked at, as everyone was still busy with recanvassing and absentee ballots.
All voter turnout numbers in this story are based on reported votes for the major positions, including mayor, supervisor, and aldermen.
Though the turnout has remained steady for the 2009 election season, there was a slight rise from 2007 in several towns such as Kinderhook, which had more controversial elections, and a decrease in others, like the city of Hudson citywide races. Hudson’s decrease in the number of voters from 2007 was probably due to the fact that incumbent Mayor Richard Scalera ran unopposed in this election, whereas in 2007 he ran against both Linda Mussman and J. Michael O’Hara.
In the vast majority of towns in the county, the voter turnout stayed nearly even with the previous election, very rarely dropping, and then only by a small margin.
In other towns like Kinderhook though, where challenger Pat Grattan battled long-time incumbent Supervisor Doug McGivney, the turnout increased by just under 200 voters — a marginal increase, considering the entire voter turnout was around 2,700.
In smaller town elections like Canaan, voter turnout either remained steady or rose slightly regardless of the fact that in Canaan only the position of town supervisor was contested.
“We had over 500 people come out to vote,” said former supervisor Gary Flaherty, who lost his bid for election this year. “500 is a lot to come out with only one contested candidate.”
The two towns with the largest percentage drop in voter turnout seem to have been Ancram, with a decrease of 249 votes from 526 in 2007, to 277 in 2009, and Copake with a decrease of 178 votes from 1,120 in 2007, to 942 in 2009.
Virginia Martin, the Democratic Commissioner of Elections in Columbia County said that overall voter turnout and trends had not yet been looked at, as everyone was still busy with recanvassing and absentee ballots.
All voter turnout numbers in this story are based on reported votes for the major positions, including mayor, supervisor, and aldermen.
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