Primary duty: despite mail-in option, voters prefer the old-fashioned way

The state primary election turnout was slow and steady at polling places in the Lakes Region on Tuesday with everything seeming about normal except for the face masks and plexiglass spit guards.

Voters took to the polls for reasons as varied as civic duty, a need to end state gridlock and bills with negative consequences, and as a referendum on COVID-19 and President Trump – even though the nominations at stake were for state or county positions.

And many voters were reluctant to be identified.

Tilton

“It’s election day. I always vote,” said Pat Hoey of Tilton.

“This one’s important. What’s going on in the country, it’s only going to get worse,” said her husband Bob.

Jessica and Lucas Patten, pushing an infant in a stroller, came midday to vote in Tilton. “A lot of my family members told me to come out. My Gran was harping on it. ‘If you want to see something different happen, you should vote,”” said Lucas, who said this was his first primary, and first time voting in years.

Jessica said global warming directed her vote. “I still want to have an earth in the next 20 years or so. At this rate, I don’t think we’re going to.”

Marta Burke came with her husband and young adult son. “We vote in every primary. You can’t complain if you don’t vote. Facebook has Vote America.” People “should have been doing this all along.”

Chuck Mitchell, Tilton town moderator, characterized the primary turnout at 5 p.m. as “slow but steady” and comparable to the numbers in 2016, except for the number of absentee ballots, 258, which amounted to 671 total ballots cast.

Mask are required inside Winnisquam Regional High School, and masks were required for voting in accordance with school facility policy. “We’re pleased that people seem to think it’s the appropriate thing to do,” Mitchell said.

For voters who chose not to wear one for medical, personal or civil rights reasons, Tilton set up an outdoor voting tent. Christine Leaf, who has multiple sclerosis and can’t wear anything that restricts breathing, and her husband, Dan Leaf, who said he objects to mask-wearing for scientific and political reasons, were the first two to vote there at 1:30 pm.

“I’m just trying to get more Republicans in office. What’s happening (gridlock) in Concord is just stupidity. These masks are basically like dust masks, and they’re not supported by science. Not even an N-95 mask can stop a virus. All they do is make you sick.”

“All it is is keeping American fearful, and if you’re fearful you can be manipulated,” said Leaf. COVID-19 is “being used to affect the election, and shut down the economy to make Trump look bad. I served in the Army, and I’m worried for America,” said Leaf. “I bet they’ll try to force the masks as a new normal, even after they put out a vaccination.”

“I grew up in New Hampshire,” said Christine. “It used to be a conservative state.”

Like most of the people interviewed outside Tilton and Belmont polls, Jeanette and John Bruno of Tilton said they vote in every primary and general election. They said they were committed this time to voting in person. “We wanted to make sure our vote was counted. People need to be heard,” said Jeanette.

Belmont

Belmont’s town moderator, Alvin Nix, said the turnout from morning to midday was “strong and consistent” with primary voting in the past.

One woman hurried into Belmont High School to vote, and said in passing, “It’s really important to do this today. The issues are important, all of them.”

A retired woman named Judy who declined to give her full name, said, “We’ve just got to get Trump out of the White House. Too many people here are supported by him, endorsed by him.”

Mary Gibbs said, “It’s important to get rid of Trump. To get good leadership in this country and protect our citizens.”

Most were committed to voting as a civil right and political responsibility. “I served my country a number of years ago,” said Tim Gagne of Belmont. “This is important. I always do this. It’s my right and I want to do my job.”

“It’s something you're supposed to do,” said Thomas Fee, who voted in Belmont with his wife, Ruth. “I feel like it’s my privilege.”

Dana Leonard of Belmont said she supports President Trump based on what he’s accomplished to date, especially rebooting the economy and adding jobs. “If you want your vote to be heard, this is how to do it. I’m not happy with the way things are run now statewide and town wide. What has the other party done? Rioting and calling people names. They haven’t done anything.”

Leonard said she’s been active on Facebook, where she has squared off against opponents who are also vocal. “Nobody’s going to keep me quiet. Nobody’s going to silence me,” Leonard said. “At the same time, you don’t hear me out there screaming.”

Meredith

At the Meredith Community Center, 536 of the 5,820 registered voters had cast ballots by 11:30 a.m., said Town Clerk Kerri Parker. She also had 478 ballots that came in the mail and was in the process of opening them.

Parker said all but a few of the people who came inside the center to vote were wearing masks.

Outside on the sidewalk, maskless state Senate candidate Dave DeVoy, state Rep. candidate Norm Silber, and incumbent Rep. Deanna Jurius were holding campaign signs and standing ready to talk to any voter who had questions.

“Unless you know them, they’re not saying much — they just walk by,” DeVoy said.

“They’re not very social,” Jurius said. “When you wear a mask, you feel anonymous and then you act anonymous.”

Charles Stone, 97, walked by and got into his shiny black 1957 Ford Fairlane convertible.

Stone, who piloted TBM torpedo bombers for the U.S. Navy Air Corps in World War II, said he’s voting Republican and will support Donald Trump in the general election.

“He’s doing everything that I fought for,” Stone said. “He likes this country. He likes people, and that’s why I voted for him.”

He bought the car new and it only has 14,015 miles. It started on the second try, with a throaty roar from its twin tailpipes.

“I only drive it very little — to elections,” Stone said.

Laconia

Eleven miles to the south, at New Covenant Christian Church, Laconia Ward 4 moderator Mark Haynes said 282 of 1,700 registered voters had cast ballots by about noon.

After she voted, Elizabeth Marston, answered a couple questions.

She said she lives nearby and felt it was just as easy to come in person to vote as it would have been to vote by absentee ballot.

What issue is motivating her this election cycle?

“We need a change at the top,” she said before hopping into her car.

Former City Council member, Brenda Baer, had also just voted.

She said this is an important primary and wished that more people had voted.

“We’ve got U.S. seats on the line, the Congress and the Senate,” Baer said. “If you don’t get who you want in there now, it won’t make any difference in November.”

At the polls for the city’s third ward, Marcia Haughey said she voted in the Democratic primary. The biggest issue on her mind: "not imposing an income tax" on state taxpayers.

Stuart Tulchinsky, another Ward 3 voter, was concerned about the violence erupting across the country and what he called “COVID madness.” He said he supports candidates who will allow for businesses to reopen and for people to get back to their normal lives.

Gilford

Five miles to the northeast, voters were filing in to the Gilford Community Church.

A total of 1,100 of 6,749 registered voters had cast ballots by 12:30 p.m.

Corey Lofblad said he was going to vote "the Republican line," including Sununu for governor and Don Bolduc for U.S. Senate.

The biggest issue for Jane Karagianis was "election integrity." Though she does not believe that local election officials are doing anything improper she's not so sure about those in other parts of the country. She felt it was important to come to the polls and vote in person.

Tuesday was the first time in several years that John Carver had weighed in on a primary election. He said his primary concerns were the handling of the pandemic, the economy and fiscal responsibility.

Colleen Gould left the church after casting a ballot for her uncle, state Rep. Harry Bean.

She said she also voted for Karen Testerman, who is in the Republican primary for governor against incumbent Chris Sununu.

Gould said simply, “Testerman has bigger plans for New Hampshire.”