Very Low Voter Turnout in Harrison Primary Election 2023

The Town of Harrison, located in Hudson County, New Jersey recently held its primary election on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. Unfortunately, the election witnessed a disappointingly low voter turnout, with just over 7% of the registered voters in Harrison exercising their right to vote.

The preliminary results indicate the victory of the Hudson County Democratic Organization candidates, Craig Guy and Albert Cifelli, for the offices of Hudson County Executive and Hudson County Commissioner, respectively. In addition, we will delve into the outcomes of the uncontested Harrison Council races across the four wards and highlight the concerning statistics regarding voter participation.

Harrison Council Race Results

In the First Ward of Harrison, Maria Caamano secured 117 votes, while Eleanor Villalta garnered 111 votes in the Second Ward. Delfim Sarabando emerged victorious in the Third Ward, receiving 179 votes, and Michael Dolaghan clinched the Fourth Ward with 219 votes. These results are based on unofficial numbers reported by the Hudson County Clerk's office, and the official vote count will be released on June 20, 2023.

Low Voter Turnout

The primary concern in the Harrison primary election is the alarmingly low voter turnout. Out of the 8,718 registered voters in the town, only 626 individuals cast their votes. This translates to just over 7% of eligible voters participating in the election, which is a disheartening figure for the democratic process.

Ward-wise Percentage Turnout

Examining the voter turnout on a ward-by-ward basis in council races provides a clearer picture of the disparity in participation. In the First Ward, only 6.40% of registered voters turned out to vote. The Second Ward had an even lower turnout of 4.54%. The Third Ward witnessed a relatively higher percentage of 7.49%, while the Fourth Ward had the highest turnout at 10.70%. These figures demonstrate a lack of engagement and enthusiasm among the electorate. The lowest participation was in the Second Ward which encompasses the entire SOHA (Southern Harrison) portion of Harrison, the green section of the map above, that has seen an industrial area turn into luxury apartment building residential area.  Of the 2394 registered voters, only 174 came out on election day to cast their vote.

Implications and Analysis

The low voter turnout in the Harrison primary election raises concerns about civic participation and democratic engagement in the town. Various factors may have contributed to this apathy, including voter fatigue, lack of awareness about the primary election's significance, or the lack of contested council races. It is crucial to address these issues and encourage greater involvement among the residents of Harrison to ensure a more representative democracy.

Craig Guy & Albert Cifelli Win County Executive & Commissioner Races

Furthermore, the preliminary results suggest a victory for the Hudson County Democratic Organization candidates, Craig Guy and Albert Cifelli, in the offices of Hudson County Executive and Hudson County Commissioner. However, these results remain unofficial until the official vote count is announced on June 20, 2023. The Hudson County Executive race had county-wide Craig Guy with 30,069 Votes and Eleana Little with 9333.  That would be 76.21% of the votes for Craig Guy and 23.65% of the vote for Eleana Little.  The Progressive Democratic Party had suggested that low voter turnout would bode in their favor but it appears that Progressives did not come out to vote as the Progressive Candidates expected.

The Town of Harrison primary election held on June 6, 2023, witnessed a disappointingly low voter turnout, with just over 7% of registered voters participating in the process. The preliminary results indicate the success of the Hudson County Democratic Organization candidates in the offices of Hudson County Executive and Hudson County Commissioner. The outcome of the Harrison Council race was already known before the race as the candidates ran unopposed. Addressing the low voter turnout and fostering increased civic engagement should be a priority of concerned citizens of the town to ensure a more robust democratic process in future elections.

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What do you think about the very low voter turn out? Do the SOHA residents of Harrison get 4 a.m. street cleaning because they are registered voters but don't vote in large percentages?  Let us know by signing up for Free on our Discussion Board and leaving a comment.