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Late rush at the polls
  
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More than 84 percent show up for '08 vote
By Frank Mortimer
In a tidal wave of civic pride or concern, Foxboro joined the nation Tuesday in showing who the real deciders are.
The rush hour came late here.
During the last hour of a 14-hour assault on the ballot box, 840 voters cast ballots in an election that averaged some 700 voters per hour and drew a recent record 84 percent turnout in Foxboro.
Voters re-elected state Sen. James Timilty, D-Walpole, and Rep. Jay Barrows, R-Mansfield to two-year terms and helped elect America's first black president, Barak Obama.
Obama took Foxboro 4,696 to John McCain's 4,210.
Foxboro voted with the state to reject a repeal of the Massachusetts income tax (Question 1) and agreed to decriminalize possession of an ounce or less of marijuana (Question 2).
But the town spurned what turned out to be a successful bid to end dog racing for betting (Question 3).
Foxboro also voted with other towns and cities to re-elect U.S. senator John Kerry and congressman Barney Frank.
Although Daniel Iagatta III of Baker Street had no opponent in his run to succeed the late Robert Girardin on the Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School Committee, nearly 6,000 voters gave Iagatta a symbolic nod of support as he assumes that role.
In all, 9,136 people voted in Foxboro, an 84.3 percent turnout among 10,836 registered voters. But the number of registered voters will increase slightly, town clerk Robert Cutler said, which will reduce the percent turnout closer to the 83 percent of four years ago.
Because voters came in an even stream throughout the day, lines were few and voters waited only a few minutes, if at all.
"It's a credit to the people who set this up -- they're zipping right through," said Ed Ferguson of Forest Road. "Look at it, it's beautiful."
By contrast, Ferguson said, voters in some communities waited in line for hours.
Foxboro was not so blessed in the tallying. Results were not released until around 11 p.m., long after Norton and Mansfield tallies were done and reported to the candidates and the public.
Cutler, working his first major election since coming to office last May, apologized to Barrows's campaign aide for the long wait, and later said there were some glitches.
The rush hour came late here.
During the last hour of a 14-hour assault on the ballot box, 840 voters cast ballots in an election that averaged some 700 voters per hour and drew a recent record 84 percent turnout in Foxboro.
Voters re-elected state Sen. James Timilty, D-Walpole, and Rep. Jay Barrows, R-Mansfield to two-year terms and helped elect America's first black president, Barak Obama.
Obama took Foxboro 4,696 to John McCain's 4,210.
Foxboro voted with the state to reject a repeal of the Massachusetts income tax (Question 1) and agreed to decriminalize possession of an ounce or less of marijuana (Question 2).
But the town spurned what turned out to be a successful bid to end dog racing for betting (Question 3).
Foxboro also voted with other towns and cities to re-elect U.S. senator John Kerry and congressman Barney Frank.
Although Daniel Iagatta III of Baker Street had no opponent in his run to succeed the late Robert Girardin on the Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School Committee, nearly 6,000 voters gave Iagatta a symbolic nod of support as he assumes that role.
In all, 9,136 people voted in Foxboro, an 84.3 percent turnout among 10,836 registered voters. But the number of registered voters will increase slightly, town clerk Robert Cutler said, which will reduce the percent turnout closer to the 83 percent of four years ago.
Because voters came in an even stream throughout the day, lines were few and voters waited only a few minutes, if at all.
"It's a credit to the people who set this up -- they're zipping right through," said Ed Ferguson of Forest Road. "Look at it, it's beautiful."
By contrast, Ferguson said, voters in some communities waited in line for hours.
Foxboro was not so blessed in the tallying. Results were not released until around 11 p.m., long after Norton and Mansfield tallies were done and reported to the candidates and the public.
Cutler, working his first major election since coming to office last May, apologized to Barrows's campaign aide for the long wait, and later said there were some glitches.
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| Over & out | Foreclosure looming for Post #2626 |
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