Pittsfield Having Quiet Preliminary Election DayBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:09PM / Tuesday, September 19, 2023 | |
 All three mayoral candidates were outside Providence Court where voting for Ward 3A was taking place on Tuesday. |
The polling station at Morningside Community School ready for voters.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is having a quiet and smooth preliminary election day.
About halfway through polling, mayoral candidates Peter Marchetti, Karen Kalinowsky and John Krol were feeling hopeful while holding signs in front of Providence Court, the polling location for Ward 3A.
The three candidates have been traveling the city to connect with voters of all wards and precincts.
Kalinowsky cited the rainy weather earlier Tuesday that had since subsided and encouraged people to go out and vote.
"Some of the people that are holding signs for me say that some areas have been steady," she reported. "But others say that it's been low voter turnout."
Throughout her campaign, Kalinowksy has heard that people want a change.
"The decision is going to be up to the voters," she said.
Marchetti reported that it has been fairly quiet but it has been a typical election day for him.
"I am feeling super positive about the reaction from the voters today," he said. "And I look forward to seeing the results."
Krol said he is feeling fantastic and hopes that more voters turn out after they get out of work.
"Just really good, positive vibes and I think it's part of what our campaign is definitely bringing to the picture," he said.
"People look at politics and say, 'It's so nasty, it's so negative,' in a lot of ways. We are incredibly positive. I think our campaign and the tenor of our campaign is really driving the overall feeling of what's happening in the city. I think that's really important. We will have our battles and debates, our conversations, and at the end of the day, we're all one city."
All three candidates have celebrations planned for Tuesday evening. Kalinowsky will be at Madison Cafe, Krol at the Polish Falcon and Marchetti at Hotel on North.
The mayoral, Ward 2, and Ward 7 races are being narrowed down to two candidates in preparation for the general election on Nov. 7.
In Ward 2, Soncere Williams, Alexander Blumin, and Brittany Bandani are vying for the seat. Current Councilor Charles Kronick is not seeking re-election.
And in Ward 7, incumbent Anthony Maffuccio is being challenged by Jonathan Morey and Rhonda Serre.
The other races did not meet the criteria for a preliminary.
Around the midpoint of the preliminary election day, Ward 7B had about 220 ballots and Ward 2A had not even 60. Ward 3A had around 230.
Election clerks reported no issues other than low turnout. The workers at Morningside Community School for 3A joked that they had a rush around noon with three voters.
Polls open at 8 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. for all wards and precincts. Find your polling station here.
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