McNamara, Martins of GOP & Sullivan Elected to Board of Ed

Update 10:32 p.m.:

All Republicans running for office won their races on Election Night, and Democrat Callie Sullivan won the third Board of Education seat.

Of the four Board of Education candidates nominated, two from each party, for the three open seats on the board, Shannon Silsby came in fourth place and was shut out. Meanwhile, Repubican Kathy Larkins beat Democrat Tom Valentino in the race for town tax collector -- the only other race contested by Democrats.

"It was a hard-fought race with four great candidates," Christa McNamara said at the GOP Election Night party at The Goose restaurant and bar. "The town and our schools are better for the issues brought forward, and I'm looking forward to serving with Callie [Sullivan] and David [Martin] and the other six members."

Martens said he got pretty nervous when voting results for the first to districts came in and showed him behind, "so I was very intent in listening to the results from the following districts. For me, personally, it was a little bit nerve-wracking. It looked like Christa was ahead the whole time, and I was really not surprised."

Update 9:06 p.m.:

"We got smoked," a voice said at Democratic headquarters as it sank in that Shannon Silsby would not be taking a seat on the Darien Board of Education.

"Shannon, honey, I've been in your seat, and you live to fight another day," Callie Sullivan, who won a seat on the board, called out to Silsby, at the other end of the crowded room.

"Absolutely!" Silsby called back. Silsby later got up on a chair and told the crowd she enjoyed the race and thanked her supporters.

Sullivan, taking her turn standing on a chair, said that after going through a "long, dark tunnel" (referring to the demise of her husband in an aircraft accident), she was inspired by the people who worked to get her elected.

(Election results have been revised just below.)

Update 8:51 p.m., revised at 9:06 p.m.:

Revised figures from town Democratic Party campaign headquarters (which are themselves prelminary -- the final vote count tonight may well be different, and it may well be revised later):

McNamara (R) -- 1,873

Sullivan (D) -- 1,700

Martens (R) -- 1,712

Silsby (D) -- 1,500

Update, 8:31 p.m.:

David Martens is in, Democrat Shannon Silsby is an also ran this year, according to returns reported to town Democratic headquarters.

Update 8:27 p.m.:

According to figures reported to Democratic campaign headquarters:

Total votes for each candidate from Districts 2, 4, 5 and 6:

McNamara (R) -- 1,198

Sullivan (D) -- 1,102

Martens (D) -- 1,102

Silsby (D) -- 1,045

Four ran, only three get elected.

Update 4:19 p.m.:

As of 3 p.m. today, a total of six people had registered to vote in the lobby of Darien Town Hall, said volunteer Vickie Riccardo. And they'd all come in before she started at 1 p.m. If you're wondering whether to vote or not, give poor Vickie something to do! Same-day registration continues, and the polls don't close until 8 p.m.

Update 4:08 p.m.:

Polling was "quite smooth" at the polling station in the gymnasium at Town Hall, said Janet Offutt, the moderator (the name they give the person in charge).

"It's been a steady number," she said.

There's been a little noise from the floor below as work continues on constructing the Mather Community Center in the building, Offutt said, and there had been discussion of moving the polling place to the Town Hall Auditorium, but it would have been difficult for elderly people to climb the stage stairs, she said.

Update 3:36 p.m.:

As of 3 p.m., according to the Darien Registrars of Voters Office:

• 2,182 of Darien's 12,249 eligible voters had cast ballots

• That's 17.5 percent of registered voters, compared to 21.3 percent at the same time in 2011 (when there was a race for first selectman).

• In the 2011 election, a total of 37.8 percent of registered voters went to the polls (4,706 voters).

Update 10:23 a.m.:

Person-to-Person is asking town voters to bring non-perishable food items to their local polling place on Election Day to help stock the P2P pantry.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

How late are the polls open?

Polls are open in Darien from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to the Darien town government website.

Where's my polling place?

Depending on your district (see next section), your polling place may have changed since the last town election. Here's where you vote this year. Here's a quote from a Web page (a PDF) on the town website:

Polls beings changed:

• Ox Ridge (district 1) will now be at 35 Leroy [Ave.], the old Darien Library [and now Darien Public Schools headquarters]
  

• Darien High School (District 5) will now be at McGuane Field House; 221 Noroton Avenue

All other polls are at their previous polling locations:

• District 2 –Tokeneke School
• District 3 –Holmes School
• District 4 –Hindley School
• District 6 –Town Hall

Voting districts have changed. What district am I in?

Darien town government has two ways for you to find out online:

• Here's a list of polling places with a street directory attached
• Here's a map (zoom in and out)

I'm not registered to vote. Can I still vote?

Starting today, Election Day, in Connecticut you can register on the same day you vote. According to the town website: "A prospective voter may register to vote on election day, starting in November 2013. Such prospective voter must come to the Registrar’s office in Town Hall to register and vote on election day."

For offices are candidates competing for election?

There are three open seats on the Board of Education. You may vote for two candidates out of the two Democrats and two Republicans that have been nominated by the major parties in town. None are incumbents. In alphabetical order (with links to articles about them on Darien Patch), they are:

• David Martens (Republican)
• Christa McNamara (Republican)
• Callie Sullivan (Democrat)
• Shannon Silsby (Democrat)

There are two candidates for Darien Tax Collector:

• Kathy Larkins (Republican)
• Thomas Valentino (Democrat)

For endorsement letters and other election coverage, see the Elections section of Darien Patch.