UPDATED: Operational Budget Override Passes; DPW Garage Fails at Medfield Election

The votes have been tallied and the results are in: 1,755 of Medfield's 8,169 registered voters approved the town's operational budget override of $500,000 and rejected the town's $10 million debt exclusion bond for the proposed DPW garage at Monday's special election. 

The Town of Medfield asked residents to vote "yes" or "no" on the two override questions mentioned above in a special election held at the Center at Medfield and the response to each ballot question was definitive.

For the operational budget override, 1,031 voters said "yes" while 711 said "no." For the $10 million debt exclusion bond for the proposed DPW garage, 1,000 voters said "no" while 711 said "yes." 

Election Results by Precinct:

Precinct 1:

• Counted votes: 460
• Operational Budget Override: 260 (yes); 199 (no); 4 (blank)
• Debt Exclusion Bond ($10 million): 181 (yes); 275 (no); 4 (blank)

Precinct 2:

• Counted votes: 417
• Operational Budget Override: 242 (yes); 174 (no); 1 (blank)
• Debt Exclusion Bond ($10 million): 179 (yes); 235 (no); 3 (blank)

Precinct 3:

• Counted votes: 436
• Operational Budget Override: 273 (yes); 162 (no); 1 (blank)
• Debt Exclusion Bond ($10 million): 186 (yes); 248 (no); 2 (blank)

Precinct 4:

• Counted votes: 442
• Operational Budget Override: 256 (yes); 186 (no); 0 (blank)
• Debt Exclusion Bond ($10 million): 175 (yes); 262 (no); 5 (blank)

Medfield Town Clerk Carol Mayer said voter turnout was never "overwhelming" but remained "steady" throughout most of the day before picking up in the final two hours (6 to 8 p.m.) before polls closed.

Residents continued to walk through the entrance of the Center at Medfield as 8 p.m. approached and some managed to beat the clock, running through the senior center entrance as late as 7:58 p.m. to exercise their democratic right. When all the votes were tallied and accounted for, it was still a low turnout. 

As of 7 p.m. the number of voters at the polls was up to 1,514, an increase of 420 votes since 5 p.m. (1,094). The polls saw an increase of 514 voters from 1 to 5 p.m., much better than the 380 votes from the morning hours to 1 p.m. 

Mayer expected 2,000 voters Monday but that expectation fell 245 votes shy. The special election still more than doubled the turnout of March's Town Election, which saw 808 votes. 

"Voter turnout in the morning hours were low," Mayer said. "But [it] picked up and [was] steady throughout the day." 

To read more on the operational budget override of $500,000 that was approved by voters on Monday, click . To read more on the $10 million debt exclusion bond to build a new DPW garage that was rejected by voters on Monday, click . 

Mayer said the elections results were official as soon as they were announced, shortly after 8 p.m.

"The results [were] official because residents are just answering 'yes' or 'no,'" she said. "There are no candidates so we [were] able to tally it up officially [Monday]."

Mayer said the election would not have been possible without the hard work and effort turned in by her eight volunteers on staff Monday.

“They worked hard,” Mayer said. “It’s boring and it’s tedious and to just see how well everybody at the end of the night works together to get everything done … I have such terrific staff. They’re just terrific and I don’t know what I would do without them and they’re loyal. I call them, I know they’re going to be here.”

Follow Medfield Patch for more coverage from Monday’s election results with reactions from town officials and a look at where the town goes from here now that one override has been approved – and the other rejected.