Middletown Primary Helps Pick Candidates for State Elections, Congressional Race

Middletown's Primary Election Day was showing low voter turnout Tuesday morning as expected, with less than 200 votes cast at three Polling sites by 11 am. However, as the noon-time lunch hour arrived, foot traffic was noticeably picking up steam at all sites across town and poll workers said they were expecting more "rushes" in the late afternoon and early evening commutes after voters got off work.

Middletown voters in today's Primary Election have no local contests to decide, but still have statewide votes to cast to decide who will be in the final showdowns come November.

"I do want to encourage people to come out and exercise their right to vote," said Town Clerk Wendy J. W. Marshall. "We still have many important races to decide and we're staffed and ready to help them count their votes."

Polls in Middletown today are open from 8 am to 9 pm at three locations: Middletown High School, 130 Valley Road, Town Hall, 350 E. Main Road, and the now-closed John F. Kennedy Elementary School, 740 West Main Road.

Before heading out, voters may visit the Secretary of State's website to find their specific poll site and address, confirm that their voter registration information is accurate, and also see a sample of the ballot in use today.

About 10,300 registered Middletown voters are eligible today to help decide which  party candidates will square off at the November mid-term election for the U.S. First Congressional seat to be vacated by Democrat Patrick Kennedy after eight terms, as well as narrow down the choices for state offices for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and General Assembly state representatives and senators.

The number of candidates running for Middletown's Town Council and School Committee this year did not warrant primary elections, which has some local officials worried about a lower voter turnout than usual today.

Approximately 10,300 Middletown residents are eligible to vote today and this year 75 absentee ballots were sent out by request, according to the Secretary of State's office.

Middletown's Primary election will have about 20 poll workers staffing three polling sites, with about 20 Eagle ink-marked optical scanning voting machines town-wide, including machines accessible to the handicapped and visually impaired, said Marshall.

Today's Primary Election Candidates:

• U.S. House of Representatives, Congressional District 1: Democrats David N. Cicilline, William J. Lynch, Anthony P. Gemma, and David A. Segal; Republicans John J. Loughlin II and Kara D. Russo.
• Governor: Democrat Frank T. Caprio; Republicans John F. Robitaille and Victor G. Moffitt.
• Lt. Governor: Democrats Elizabeth H. Roberts and Jeremy A. Kapstein; Republicans Heidi Rogers and Kara D. Russo.
• Secretary of the State: Democrat A. Ralph Mollis and Leonidas P. Raptakis; Republican Catherine Terry Taylor.
• Attorney General: Democrats Peter F. Kilmartin, Joseph M. Fernandez, and Stephen R. Archambault; Republican Erik B. Wallin.
• General Treasurer: Democrat Gina M. Raimondo; Republican Kernan F. King.
• General Assembly State Senator, District 12: Democrat Louis P. DiPalma.
• General Assembly State Representative, District 72: Democrat Amy G. Rice; Republican Daniel Patrick Reilly.  

Sample ballots for Republican, Democrat, and non-partisan registered voters are available here as downloadable PDFs at the right, and also at the Secretary of State website.