Candidates, Volunteers Recall Election Day Efforts in Melrose

Despite cold temperatures volunteers and candidates braved the elements during the city election Tuesday in Melrose.

Nearly a dozen volunteers, some of whom had been supporting their candidates since the polls opened at 7 a.m., could be seen holding campaign signs outside the Beebe School a couple hours before the voting was set to end at 8 p.m.

Pat O'Leary-Thorpe, a lifelong Melrosian, was backing alderman at-large candidate Jaclyn Lavender Bird.

"I usually try to find one candidate that I'll hold a sign for," she said. "...I just love the process."

O'Leary-Thorpe, who previously spent time as a member of the School Committee, said her husband helped with Bird's campaign during the morning rush while she assisted during the evening hours.

"I'm pleased with the turnout," she said. "I always worry about the turnout, but this has been pretty good for an off year."

O'Leary-Thorpe is no stranger to the campaign scene, as she has thrown her support for several Melrose area politicians including State Sen. Katherine Clark, U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, Alderman Frank Wright and School Committee candidate Christine Casatelli.

Meanwhile, alderman at-large candidate George Doyle was greeting residents as they pulled into the school parking lot to head inside to cast their ballot.

"Turnout in some places have been encouraging (including) Ward 1, Ward 2 and Ward 3 seems to be picking up," he said, "but Ward 5 seems disappointing and (Ward) 7 was disappointing earlier and I'm not sure if it's going to pick up later. I expect to do well in Ward 6, Ward 7 and my home ward, Ward 1. I think they will bode well for me."

Doyle stated that he started the morning at the Lincoln School and "I was a little disappointed with the turnout there," he said. 

"I met some friends in Ward 7 at the Hoover School, and I spent some time in my home ward, Ward 1," he said. "I'm currently here and I plan to make one more stop before the night is over."

Monica Medeiros, an alderman at-large candidate, said she made her way around to the polls throughout the election and was in the process of making her last couple stops for the night.

"I was really happy today because for the first time I was able to vote with my parents, (as) we voted together which was cool," she said, adding that 25 to 30 people have volunteered to hold signs on her behalf on election day. "Some places have been a little bit slower than others...and I've had coverage from friends in Ward 2 (my home ward) so I've been there a little bit but I've been all around."

Lizbeth DeSelm, a School Committee candidate, said she spent most of the day campaigning in Ward 3 while supporters have held signs at the other polling places around the city.

"Turnout has been a little low and I have no idea what that means in the grand scheme of things," she said. "Municipal turnouts tend to be low generally."

DeSelm, who pulled papers on May 6, the first day a Melrosian could do so, said she made her candidate announcement in late August.

"I've knocked on thousands of doors across Melrose and talked to thousands of people, and win or lose today I'm absolutely honored to have had the chance to talk to many of our fellow Melrosians," she said. "I'm honored and humbled to have been allowed to hear their stories, both their successes and their failures, with their kids (and) with their own daily lives here in Melrose.

"I've been offered into people's houses for warm beverages on cold days, cold beverages on warm days, offered to share meals and lots and lots of stories and it's just been a wonderful experience."