More than 128,000 people — roughly 21 percent of the city’s population — voted at the preliminary municipal election on Tuesday, narrowing 15 candidates for city councilor at-large down to eight.
While City Council races are often overlooked in precincts such as Boston University’s, councilors have considered legislation that might significantly affect students’ lives. This legislation includes the Student Accountability Ordinance, which requires that universities release basic information about numbers of students living off campus, and a proposal that would mandate Bostonians to register keg purchases with the city, although the latter was voted down.
City residents voting on Tuesday could select up to four candidates for city councilor at-large, a position that represents the entire city, not just individual districts that other councilors represent.
Three City Council veterans, including Felix Arroyo, Stephen Murphy and Council President Michael Flaherty, were among the highest-ranking candidates in Tuesday’s election. But newcomer John Connolly received more votes than the incumbent Murphy.
One of the three candidates running for the District 9 council seat was also eliminated. The race is now between incumbent City Councilor Jerry McDermott (Allston, Brighton) and challenger Paul Creighton, Jr. On Nov. 8., voters will choose four of the eight remaining candidates to represent them in the City Council.
Voting policy changes designed to improve the voting experience for non-English-speaking voters were apparent at the preliminary.
All election signs were printed in both English and Spanish, and Voting Experience flyers at every polling station were printed in seven different languages: English, Cape Verdean, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.
Poll workers at numerous stations were also translating Spanish to voters in need.
At the Myles Standish Hall poll on Beacon Street, where 49 voters had showed up as of 2 p.m., Ward 5 Precinct 10 warden Steven Gallanter said there was a Spanish translator on site.
“We have done everything to make voting easier,” Gallanter said. “A valid ID is no longer necessary. You can show an electronic bill with your address on it and be allowed to vote.”
Gallanter attributed the low turnout to the location of their poll.
“This is a more transit area, not a neighborhood,” he said. “Most people in this area are not residents. They are students, professors and commuters.
“The councilor-at-large does not affect people in their own district, so people don’t care as much to come out and vote,” Gallanter said. “A lot of these candidates are also running unopposed or against unknown candidates, so it just doesn’t draw as much interest.”
No translator was available at The Hill House Community Center on Mount Vernon Street, but poll warden Rosalie Nesbit said Precinct 11 did not need one.
“Most people in this area are English-speaking and college-educated,” Nesbit said.
Nesbit said in a precinct of 1,250 voters, 80 voters showed up for the preliminary, including the parents of Patricia White, a candidate for city councilor at-large.
“Most people I talked to didn’t seem to know that the primary was being held today,” Nesbit said. “I even had to remind them of the council and mayoral election coming up.”
Poll worker Jim Aharonion agreed, saying the candidates did little campaigning.
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