By TIMOTHY LAROCHE
PLAINFIELD — A slow trickle of residents filed into the Plainfield School gymnasium on Tuesday to cast ballots amid worsening road conditions.
A strengthening winter storm outside and uncontested races for all school and town positions made for low turnout — 134 of the 1,630 registered voters cast ballots, seven of which were absentee ballots. No applicants filled out papers for the race for a school clerk, so the seat was determined by write-in votes.
“It’s hard to predict with the weather,” moderator Paul Franklin said Tuesday morning. “If we have 200 or 300 people show up, I’ll consider it a good day.”
While snow may have swayed potential voters away from the polls, Town Clerk Michelle Marsh said, the election followed a school district annual meeting with lowest turnout in recent memory.
“The school only had 112 people show up, which is the worst turnout ever — in our memory at least,” Marsh said.
Last year, despite the heavy election day snowstorm, the town saw higher turnout with 232 ballots cast. Marsh attributes the higher turnout to a contested library trustees race, however.
For the town election, all races were unopposed.
• Robert Taylor was re-elected to another three year term on the selectboard with 131 votes.
• James Taylor took a three-year term as a cemetery trustee with 131 votes.
• Harold Jones took a six-year seat as supervisor of the checklist with 130 votes.
• Paul Franklin was re-elected as moderator for a two-year term with 134 votes.
• Donald Garfield took a three-year seat as trustee of trust funds with 130 votes.
• Stephanie Berman and Nancy Liston took three-year seats as library trustees with 125 and 106 votes, respectively.
The single ballot initiative decided on Tuesday, a proposal to amend zoning ordinances regarding accessory dwelling units, passed 124 to 6. The article’s passage revises town ordinances in accordance with RSA 674:73, which became effective in June 2017.
The school elections also saw several uncontested races.
• Michael Button and Mary Houde were elected to three-year terms on the school board with 107 and 119 votes, respectively.
• Lisa Elder was elected to a one-year term as school district clerk with 27 write-in votes.
• Paul Franklin was elected to a one-year term as school district moderator with 124 votes.
• Jeffrey Moore was elected to a one-year term as school district treasurer with 122 votes.
Still, higher engagement is expected for the town meeting on Saturday. Although Selectboard Chair Rob Taylor said there are few controversial items, a proposed fire department consolidation and a proposal to build a new library could draw more attention.
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