CANDIDATES AND SUPPORTERS were holding signs at 8 a.m. this morning on across from the Masonic Building on Salem Street where precincts 1 and 7 vote. (Mark Sardella Photo)

CANDIDATES AND SUPPORTERS were holding signs at 8 a.m. this morning on across from the Masonic Building on Salem Street where precincts 1 and 7 vote. (Mark Sardella Photo)

Published in the April 25, 2017 edition.

WAKEFIELD — Today’s early voting was a little heavier than expected for a Town Election, at least at the West Side Social Club, where precincts 5 and 6 vote.

As of 10 a.m., 3.42 percent of the town’s 18,668 registered voters had cast ballots.

According to Warden Judy Wallace, 114 ballots had been cast in Precinct 6 as of about 10 a.m. Precinct 5 Warden Linda Byam said that the early voting in Precinct 5 was also a bit higher than expected, with 100 votes cast in the first few of hours.

Wallace said that contested races for Board of Selectmen and School Committee likely contributed to high voter interest in today’s election.

Both wardens indicated that they had expected voting to be lighter due to the off-and-on rain this morning, but the showers had apparently not kept people away from the polls.

At 10 a.m., Precinct 1 had already seen 89 of the 2,883 registered voters there cast ballots; Precent 2 had 67 voters (of 2,334); Precinct 3 had 86 (of a total of 2,688); Precinct 4 had 84 (of 2,519), and Precinct 7 had 89 (of 2,613).

The polls will remain open until 8 p.m. tonight.