Turnout low in Jersey City

For a town where politics is a blood sport, Jersey City is pretty quiet today.

One thing’s clear in Ward F – whether it’s because Mayor Healy appeased Joe Cardwell with a spot on the Municipal Utilities Authority or for some other reason, there does not appear to be a serious push from or State Sen. Sandra B. Cunningham on behalf ofRob Andrews in this heavily African-American section of town.

Driving through Martin Luther King Drive, which cuts through state Cunningham’s strongest constituency, you’re hit with two blocks approaching Freeholder Director Jeffrey Dublin’s headquarters that are plastered with sign’s bearing Dublin’s face, and where Lautenberg posters adorn about every lamp post. But one block farther south, campaign signs disappear almost completely.

The Hudson County Freeholder candidates are the only ones with significant troops canvassing the city and standing outside of polling places. For the most part, their campaign literature makes no mention of Senate candidates, even if they share a line. And altogether, turnout seems to be quite low across the board.

As of 1:45 this afternoon at the Mary McLeod Bethune Center polling site on MLK Drive, only 43 votes had been cast – all Democratic.

“For this ward, you’d expect to have 100 votes by now,” said poll worker Malvin Sims.

But it’s not just districts where local power players back Rob Andrews where turnout is low. Up in the Heights, in Healy’s home district of Ward C, district 19, only 15 Democrats and one Republican had turned out to vote as of 2:30 this afternoon to cast their votes Number 8 Elementary School.

“It’s very low, especially for this district,” said poll worker Luzvivien Mangrobang.

“(Healy) will be upset,” she joked.

In downtown, where Ward E councilman Steven Fulop, who backed Andrews, holds a good deal of sway, poll workers said that turnout was typical or slightly better than average for a non-presidential primary. As of 11:30 this morning, 36 Democrats and two Republicans had turned in out district 13, 44 Democrats in district 14, and 72 Democrats and four Republicans in district 15.

“For this time, it’s kind of a good turnout,” said 15th district poll worker Ziomara Ocasio.