Editor’s note: This article includes reporting from the Community News Service, along with VTDigger reporters Ellie French, Kevin O’Connor and Kit Norton.
Colin McNeil, the Ward 6 clerk overseeing voting Tuesday morning at Edmunds Middle School in Burlington, said he didn’t know how the 2,507 voters who cast ballots before noon compared to previous years, but was confident the total vote count this year would be unprecedented.
Some 16,000 mail-in ballots were already cast in Burlington, McNeil said, in a city that normally sees 18,000 to 19,000 voters in a good year.
“So if we’re at that number just in this ward, we’re probably going to eclipse the record that the city of Burlington has ever had, which is cool,” he said.
All signs Tuesday — and after a month of mail-in voting — pointed to similar records in towns and cities across Vermont.
The capital city of Montpelier, which received about 4,000 early ballots, reported about 550 voters by noon, while the southern hub town of Brattleboro, with an advance count of 5,300, had welcomed about 700 people by the lunch hour.
“It has been a steady flow, but it hasn’t been overwhelming,” Brattleboro Town Clerk Hilary Francis said. “There hasn’t been any yelling matches, and everyone outside has been very peaceful.”
Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Michael Schirling, speaking at the state’s regular Covid-19 press conference, said police have yet to receive any notable complaints.
“So far, knock on wood, all has been well,” Schirling said.
While in-person turnout was lower than normal, plenty of voters and candidates turned out for a remarkably normal Election Day routine, along with some scattered snow flurries.
“I don’t trust the mail-in votes with all the stuff Trump’s been threatening,” said Sarah Harissis, a 31-year-old web developer voting in Bolton. “I’ve always voted this way,” she added. “It really should be a national holiday.”
Raymond and Nancy Mcnamara, a couple in their 70s waiting in line to vote in Milton, said they were “horrified” that Vermont sent all voters a mail-in ballot.
“It’s the American way to do it, to come out to vote,” Mcnamara said.
Damian Boivin, a 64-year-old retired banker in Georgia, turned out to vote for the president.
“I feel confident that Trump’s going to come in ahead again,” he said.
“I just like doing it in person,” he added of voting. “I don’t need anyone to send me a ballot, I’m going to come out and do my duty.”
John Crowningshield, a Fair Haven resident and New York state corrections officer, said he was at the polls in person because he never got a mail-in ballot.
“Honest, I’m just ready for it to be over,” he said, explaining his life and his work would remain pretty much the same no matter who wins.
Other voters felt it was a pivotal day.
“I can’t wait to get Trump out of office so we can start dealing with the things that are important,” said 70-year-old Burlington artist Beth Haggart, who shouted “Biden!” before a reporter even started the interview.
In South Burlington, Scott Stafford, a 60-year-old self-described “IT guy,” said his presidential vote went to Kanye West. “There wasn’t really any local issues on the ballot,” he added.
Whether Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, will join Haggart or Stafford in their presidential picks remains to be seen. His campaign manager said Scott plans to vote at 4 p.m. this afternoon, at which point he may answer who got his anti-Trump vote.
As of Tuesday at noon, the Fletcher Free Library in Burlington was among the polling stations counting steady foot traffic.
Ward 7 clerk Keith Pillsbury said the highest numbers he’s seen were in 2018, with about 1,400 votes cast before noon. As of the same time Tuesday, some 771 voters cast ballots in person.
“Everyone has been wearing their masks,” he said. “People have been bringing in their ballots, some of them have been putting it in the drop box and others have been tabulating it themselves.”
