Ditmas Park Polling Sites See Low Initial Turnout

 

Polling sites in Ditmas Park were relatively calm Tuesday during the congressional primary elections, with coordinators at polling stations at P.S. 249 and P.S. 139 noting that voter turnout had been low throughout the day.

Julia Yepez, polling coordinator at P.S. 249, otherwise known as the Caton School, cited a lack of awareness that an election was even occurring. "There wasn't a lot of press about the election," she said.

Yepez also believed the low turnout could be attributed to a less vocal candidate pool compared to years past. "Candidates used to come our with booklets to let you know what their positions were," she said. She noted that now, people must be proactive and research the candidates and their stances on their own.

Ronald Holmes, polling coordinator at P.S. 139, echoed Yepez and noted that by almost 7:30 p.m., an hour and a half before polls closed, only 78 people had voted.