Voting Lags Despite an Undecided Mayor's Race

Greenbelt East, West and Center are united in at least one thing this election year—voter apathy.

Despite a mayor's race that's been won by just handfuls of votes in recent times, voting has been lagging at the polls on Tuesday.

In 2007, then City Council candidate Judith "J" Davis received a mere 20 votes more than Rodney Roberts and was elected mayor of Greenbelt. In the 2009 elections, Davis beat Jordan by only 49 votes.

, she said, "Every vote counts in this election." The mayor's race was not over yet, she pointed out.

, candidate Leta Mach talked about how traditionally the highest vote-getter among the candidates for Greenbelt City Council becomes mayor.

"It does make a difference who the mayor is," Mach said. "You may have an opinion of who can do that best, so you need to get out and vote for that person."

By 7:30 a.m. this morning only 22 people had voted at Center City's 6th Precinct polling station. By this time last year, around 50 had voted there, recalled election Judge Keith Chernikoff.

At Greenbelt West's polling station, at 9:30 a.m., Judge Kimberly Paz reported only nine voters had turned up.

Greenbelt East also had a low voter turnout with 75 reported by election Clerk John Angotti at 11:18 a.m.

City Clerk Cindy Murray said that 265 people voted early. Last year the number was 383.

Looking at the sunshine falling on an idyllic fall day, Mach said, "If it had been raining or snowing the turnout would have been worse."

The race for City Council may not be highly contested—with only eight candidates vying for seven seats. Still Robert Jones of Greenbriar showed up at the polls.

"As an American citizen, I should vote—period," Jones said.

Randall Evans, president of the Windsor Green Homeowners Association, also made his way to the Greenbriar polling station. "Too many people gave up too much for the right to vote and it kind of bugs me that so many people take it for granted," he said.

With him was his 3 1/2-year-old son Andrew, whom Evans said would be voting as soon as he turned 18.