In even stronger numbers than in Massachusetts as a whole, Andover on Tuesday, Jan. 19, voted for Republican Scott Brown to assume the US Senate seat occupied for 46 years by the late liberal Democrat Edward "Ted" Kennedy.
Brown becomes the first Republican senator elected in Massachusetts since Edward Brooke in 1972.
Fifty-eight percent of Andover voters chose Brown over Democrat Martha Coakely, who garnered 41 percent of the 14,324 town ballots cast in Tuesday's special election. Independent candidate Joseph Kennedy, who is no relation to the late senator, received 80 votes in town.
Andover's two polling stations, at Andover High School and the senior center, buzzed with activity all day until polls closed at 8 p.m. More than 64 percent of Andover's registered voters cast ballots. The November 2008 election of President Barack Obama brought nearly 80 percent of registered voters to the polls, and a record 18,293 ballots were cast in Andover that day.
Still, Tuesday's turnout was considered remarkable by most, given the presence of only one race and the heavy snowfall.
"I've never seen anything like this," said Andover native Ray Potvin, watching a steady stream of cars pull into the senior center parking lot around 7:30 p.m.
Potvin, a self-described "life long Democrat," came to vote at 1 p.m. and noticed there weren't many Martha Coakley signs in front of the senior center. After voting, Potvin grabbed a Coakely sign for each hand and stood in front of the polling place, braving snow flurries and temperatures in the 30s for more than six hours.
His passion - and three pairs of socks - kept him warm.
"It's worth standing out in the cold. I'm not a bit cold. I would stand out here another eight hours," said Potvin, who grew up in West Andover. "I feel very strongly that the Democrats are the working man's salvation."
The election was especially poignant for Potvin, who had met Ted Kennedy on several occasions. Once, while campaigning in Lawrence, Kennedy got out of his car especially to shake Potvin's daughter's hand, who was then a young girl.
"That's the kind of guy Ted was. I have nothing but the greatest things to say about him," he said.
Kennedy, 77, died in August of brain cancer.
The race to find his successor heated up in the last few weeks. Around the state, residents have been bombarded with fliers in the mail and television and radio advertisements. Cold temperatures and precipitation all day - snow turned to slush and rain and then back to snow as temperatures dropped again - did not deter Andover voters.
As of noon, the town clerk's office reported 5,777 people had voted in the nine precincts, which is 28 percent of active voters.
Andover High School was virtually inaccessible at times, as voting traffic combined with buses and cars used by school staff and students. Drivers formed long lines along Shawsheen Road, waiting to turn into the entrance road.
Middle and high school students were released early, at 1:40 p.m., due to the inclement weather and voting traffic, allowing the school buses extra time to complete their routes.
Police details worked throughout the day at the two polling locations, detouring cars and working to keep traffic flowing.
Molly Bicking, a poll warden of Andover's precinct seven, said the senior center was busy all day, with just a few lulls in the afternoon.
"We had a sense that it would be very busy," said Bicking, who noted Tuesday's turnout was quite a contrast to the special election primary on Dec. 8, which drew just 20 percent of registered voters.
The nation's eyes were on Massachusetts, as more than just a senate seat hinged on the special election's outcome. Brown's victory gives Senate Republicans the 41st vote they need to use a filibuster to block health care legislation favored by majority Democrats and Obama.
How Andover voted
Scott Brown, Republican: 8,336 votes; 58 percent
Martha Coakley, Democrat: 5,900 votes; 41 percent
Joseph Kennedy, Independent: 80 votes; 0.56 percent
6 people wrote in candidates; 0.04 percent
Total voters: 14,324 or 64.06 percent
Source: Robin Redman, Andover Town Clerk's office
