For the first time, a special election is taking place to fill a vacancy on the city council in Springfield, Massachusetts. Voting by mail is already underway and ballots can be cast in-person tomorrow.
There are seven people campaigning to become the next City Councilor from Ward 5. After votes are counted Tuesday, the top two finishers will move on to the September 13th election to fill the seat left vacant when former Council President Marcus Williams resigned on June 1st.
Because it is the first time for a special election for City Council, it is difficult to predict what the voter turnout might be, said City Clerk and Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola-Lopez.
“I’m expecting to see closer to at least 15 percent voter turnout,” she said.
She expects turnout could be on the higher sider because of the state primary campaigns taking place concurrently and the now universal availability of vote-by-mail.
“What we’ve seen is an increased request in vote-by-mail ballots in general and as a result that has spilled over to this ward race,” Oyola-Lopez said.
As of Friday, roughly 3 percent of Ward 5’s registered voters had returned ballots by mail to City Hall.
For the last two months, the candidates have been out in the dog days of summer, pounding the pavement, knocking on doors to try to engage with people in Ward 5, which encompasses most of Sixteen Acres and parts of the Pine Point and Upper Hill neighborhoods.
Ed Collins, a retired labor union leader whose family has a long history in Springfield politics, said along with the door-to-door canvasing his campaign has done direct mail and phone calls to likely voters.
“It’s the old Mickey Mouse Club on Thursday it used to be ‘Anything Can Happen Day’ and I think that describes this election,” Collins said. “It all depends on who shows up (to vote).”
Quality-of-life concerns are uppermost in the voters’ minds according to the candidates who participated in a forum hosted by Focus Springfield Community Television. Mike Lee, a retired corrections officer, said peole tell him they want potholes fixed, the city to do a better job plowing snow, cars to stop speeding down their streets, and they are concerned about crime.
“We need to make Springfield a safer place so businesses want to come here and kids can play in the streets again, safely,” Lee said.
Ellen Moorhouse, a communications professional, called for more collaboration between the neighborhoods and City Hall.
“I think together we can do anything,” Moorhouse said adding, “It’s time for new voices and more choices in City Hall.”
Several of the candidates are critical of how the city has gone about distributing funds received last year from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Nicole Coakley, an administrator at Springfield College, said the ARPA money was intended to help people most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The money is being invested in businesses that don’t need it right now,” Coakley said. “We are suppose to be making sure that families, households, our seniors are getting this money and that is not happening.”
During the Focus Springfield forum, Lavar Click-Bruce, an aide to Mayor Domenic Sarno, was asked if he would have a conflict of interest should he be elected to the Ward 5 seat.
“If elected for City Council Ward 5, I will resign my position as a mayoral aide with the city of Springfield,” Click-Bruce declared.
LaMar Cook and Edward Green did not participate in the candidates’ forum.
For people planning to vote in-person Tuesday, there are six polling places, said Oyola-Lopez.
“I’m sure if someone needs a ride there are more than enough candidates to take them to the polls this time around,” she said.
The polls are open from 7 a.m – 8 p.m.
