Polls busier than expected in Meredith on Election Day

MEREDITH — Turnout was solid at Meredith Community Center Tuesday morning, with a steady stream of voters hitting the polls for the Primary Election.

“There was a line at 7, and a steady turnout ever since,” said selectboard Chair Steve Aiken, who was working at the polls. “It is much busier than anticipated.”

Aiken said it was great to see so many local residents practice their civic duty, and cast a ballot for their preferred candidates for state representative, senator, and federal positions. As a tight-knit community, he said it is always good to see everyone being cordial.

“We know a lot of the people here, so it’s a little bit of an Old Home Day to catch up,” Aiken said.

Selectboard member Mike Pelczar has lived in Meredith all his life, and has been working at the polls for the past 11 years. At one time he would have been able to identify just about everyone making their way into the polling station, but he said things are a bit different these days. He said there are new faces in town who cast ballots, which is great to see.

One voter was Paul Dillon, a Democrat who said voting blue was a good way to have better balance in government.

“Most Democrats don’t lie so much,” Dillon said.

Richard Mundy, another Democrat, was also voting on Tuesday. He said her preferred “anyone not with Trump” in office.

Christa Faller, an 87-year-old resident who moved in with her son Andrew Faller and his wife Lisa, can’t recall ever missing an election. Unlike the Democratic voters, she praised President Donald Trump and the Republican candidates on the ballot.

“I hope the Republicans win,” she said.

Eric Cohen was supporting Maura Sullivan for Congressional District 1, and Dean Cascadden for state representative, both Democrats. He said Cascadden is a big supporter of the health of lakes, and he would do a great job in the Statehouse.

Gillian Emmons agreed, and added they are both the type of candidates who will be great representatives of the district and the state.

Cohen stressed the importance of voting.

“We always vote,” Cohen said. “It’s a really important responsibility of citizens.”

Candidates were lined up at the entrance to the poll, holding signs and talking to voters. Some were answering questions about their platforms, others were simply shaking hands and listening.

Rep. Matt Coker (R-Meredith) stood with his mother, Christi Lyn, who both said they were having a great morning meeting voters. One of Coker’s favorite parts of running for reelection is voting day.

“I love the fact that voters come in, and they’ll pointedly ask you a question, like, 'Where do you stand on this issue?,'” Coker said. “That’s what I love about this. It’s like the purest form of local politics. I love that.”

Coker said data centers were a concern of voters he spoke with at the polls.

“That kind of surprised me,” Coker said. “I haven’t heard that out and about, but I’ve heard it here.”

Coker said his experience sets him apart from other candidates, and he knows who he can work with in Concord. In the current political climate, he believes there will be a more evenly divided House of Representatives. As a former Democrat, he believes he has relationships on both sides of the aisle to tackle big issues, instead of playing political games, like they have for several years.

Democratic candidates for Belknap House District 2, Seth Wheeler and Dean Cascadden, stood side by side. Since their Primary Election was uncontested, the two first-time candidates have been running as a bit of a team, with hopes of bringing blue seats to the town in November.

Wheeler said while it wasn’t a huge crowd since there was no presidential election, there were cars flowing by them regularly since they arrived. Many candidates are people he knows as a longtime resident of Meredith, so it was good to catch up, and remind them of their stances.

“We’re not doing any electioneering as people go in, but we’re definitely trying to wave the flag,” Wheeler said. “I’ll get the message out, for sure.”

Wheeler said through his canvassing efforts, he heard from a lot of voters who are generally concerned about the state of the county, and politics in general.

“That kind of dovetailed well into mine and Dean’s commitment to cool down the rhetoric, and be decent to each other and civil, with the goal of getting things done,” Wheeler said. “The more you dig in, and the more start name calling, the less likely you are to pass what you wanted passed. So, we think we offer an alternative.”

Cascadden said wherever he goes, he talks to people of all political affiliations and beliefs, and it was no different among the candidates at the polls.

“I talk to every single one of the people who are running for state rep., introduce myself, say hello,” Cascadden said. “We’re going to be civil, we’re going to be collaborative, no matter who wins the primary today.”

Cascadden was looking forward to the General Election, because he and Wheeler are focusing on ideas and practical solutions. He agreed with Wheeler about helping reduce rhetoric, saying it doesn’t do any good to shout slogans at each other.

The General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Sandy Mucci stood alongside them, stumping for Carleigh Beriont, running for the 1st District in Congress, who Mucci said is policy-oriented and the right choice to represent the district’s constituents. Mucci and her late husband started the town’s Democratic Party about 50 years ago, saying that was an interesting time, because the town was mostly Republican. Times have changed a bit, she said.

“I’m shocked at the level of Democratic support that’s out there,” Mucci said. “We have Republicans, and we’re all chit-chatting with each other, which of course, is good. It’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

Mucci said she is more excited about Beriont than any candidate since President Jimmy Carter.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” Mucci said. “She’s different. She’s different in terms of financial, where she gets her money from, and where she gets her energy. We need something different.”

Candidate Caroline Rockafellow was happy to see the steady turnout, calling it nice to see for a Primary Election. She thinks she's the best choice to move on to the General Election for Statehouse, as she comes from a strong background of negotiation. She also has a desire to learn.

“This whole campaign has been a learning process. Learning about the issues, talking to a lot of folks,” Rockafellow said. “I really consider myself being a good a listener. I love being out there talking to people, hearing about the issues, and what people care about.”

Ed Twaddell is also running for state representative, and hopes his experience on the Inter-Lakes School Board and leading the local Boy Scouts troop show voters what he has to offer.

“I’m willing to listen to anybody that wants to have an actual discussion, and bat stuff around, and come up with a good answer,” Twaddell said.

Scott Wallace is a former state representative voted out in 2024. Now, he has his sights set on representing Meredith. The Republican said he is the best candidate for the job, and those who are looking to citizen legislators need to show up in Concord.

“Everybody’s concerned about taxes, the water quality, and keeping the borders safe,” Wallace said. “We’re going to continue to do that, and continue to march forward with those types of positions.”