UPDATE: With 100% of districts counted, County issues latest provisional election tallies

Not sure how all of this will end up but two things seem to be pretty apparent as we come to the close of the election day:

1)  The process is infinitely better when the town has contested elections. Everyone who took part in the process is owed a debt of gratitude from the town (including the sponsor of the referendum).

2)  The status quo doesn’t cut it anymore.  Regardless of who actually ends up winning, the people of this town are expecting better communication, an open-minded and more inclusive gov’t that listens to their constituents as much during their time in office as they did during the election process and an understanding that all of our elected officials need to work together to help the town work through the difficult economic times impacting all of us.

Here’s hoping the message gets through.

By Robert Fleisher on 11/09/2011 at 1:24 am

I see what they mean about the value of contested elections.  It’s been like a family therapy session.  Everyone remember what we’ve learned about each other and let’s work together now.  Dems: OPEN UP. Parties hamper community participation.  GOP: Don’t disappear.  Pitch in.  Greenstein: I hope at least some of your four years’ worth of Tuesday-nights-free will be spent at town hall.

By Let's all do better now! on 11/09/2011 at 6:08 am

That was pretty exciting.  Just because Dems seem to have won so far, don’t forget what you’ve found out from the opposition. It was harsh for election purposes, but not without its points.

By Whew! on 11/09/2011 at 6:10 am

It’s a beautiful thing, elections!  Even these little local ones. Thanks to everyone who stood up to be “critiqued.”  The part of party that makes for a deep team is good. the part that closes people out is bad.  Dems should do better at reaching out. everyone’s pressed for time, but this is important.

By I love elections! I love the U.S.! on 11/09/2011 at 6:12 am

Does this mean the GOP will NOT be handing out sewers?  Even this should be pursued, but after the hot-spot spots.

By Glad it's over! on 11/09/2011 at 6:14 am

I’m very glad Ms. Carpenter was chosen. I know her only from late night TV and those planning board stories are really good. She does an excellent job.

By Ms. Carpenter you are gold on 11/09/2011 at 6:19 am

Throughout my campaign, I put the best interests of New Castle, over my own political interests.  I am very proud of the campaign I ran.  I hope the willingness to engage the residents, and openly discuss the issues, continues long after this election season. 

As I said when I announced my candidacy, I understand that it’s more difficult to be elected without a major party affiliation.  I could’ve easily aligned myself with the Republicans.  It would have greatly increased my chances of winning.  And maybe the whole outcome might’ve been different right now.  But, I have absolutely no regrets.  I ran an open and honest campaign.  I can hold my head up high today.

By Rob Greenstein on 11/09/2011 at 6:39 am

Rob you did a great thing. Find a way to keep it up

By Greenstein I miss you already on 11/09/2011 at 7:01 am

Very dissapointed in our town.  Shame on all of you who stayed home. And personally, I am sad to see the status quo remain in leadership.  My focus now is buying a generator since I know the town will be very slow to react to anything that happens around here.

By Whipporwill Lake Resident on 11/09/2011 at 7:14 am

Really funny that although the Democrats all won, the first posts here appear to be from those who supported Republicans (disguised as “Independents”), and that those posts declare “victory,” claiming that what the election proved was that the Town Board should be more “open”—i.e., open to the Republican’s agenda. Proves once again that, as the kids say, denial is not merely a river in Egypt.

Congratulations to the winners, and I’m glad that New Castle remains firmly aligned with the Party that knows that “it takes a village.”

By Lawrence Farms East Resident on 11/09/2011 at 7:24 am

The quick comment at the end was interesting to me - I felt a little violated handing in my giant sheet of voting - it was very easy for the official to see a) who I voted for and b) which referendum choice I made.  I was uncomfortable with this, to say the least.  There needs to be a revision of this process!!!!

By Process Review on 11/09/2011 at 7:34 am

P.S. re the ballots:  I can’t stand the paper ballots and giant “menus.”  The ballots are confusing and the menus are ridiculous.  Bring back the machines.

By Lawrence Farms East Resident on 11/09/2011 at 7:50 am

Once again District 2 sets the bar for a significant voter turnout. Well done!
The new voter machines are a disaster. Ballots are complicated. Filling in the dots is ridiculous; the privacy sheets are a joke and fall about.Very time consuming that bodes ill for the election in 2012.  Monty Python could make a could skit out of it. Who sold whom this program?

By District 2 resident on 11/09/2011 at 8:40 am

Clearly someone who owns a diner or chain of diners was awarded the contract and also had a hand in designing the ballot, which itself looked like a diner place-mat and the protective cover, which did look like a big diner menu! 

By Diner owner? on 11/09/2011 at 8:54 am

When you have the party registration better than 2 to 1 in favor of the democrats and the election outcome was closer to 52-48, there is a message there for the winners.  Ignore it at your own peril.

By I'm Moving on 11/09/2011 at 9:15 am

Now that the election is over I hope everyone involved goes around and picks up all those placards and signs staked along the roads so they don’t continue to pollute.

By Glad it's OVER on 11/09/2011 at 9:19 am

I am a district 16 voter who feels disenfranchised.  Where is my vote?  Why has it not been tallied yet?  The Westchester County Board of Elections should be embarrassed for not checking the ballots they sent.

By JSM on 11/09/2011 at 9:40 am

I, for one, was extremely disappointed that Rob Greenstein did not make a better showing in the election results for New Castle Councilmember.  His viewpoints on the many issues regarding this town were reasonable and logical, and he seemed to give much of his time and energy to following and commenting on the important issues confronting New Castle.  I hope he continues to make his voice heard in Town Hall.  Over time, I believe he will get more name recognition from voters if he remains active in the community.

By Len Gersten on 11/09/2011 at 10:20 am

When you have a concerted effort by an opposition party in the middle of a recession to defeat incumbents and, despite the fact that opposition supporters had the incentive to turn out and the overall turnout was low (suggesting that many Democrats did not vote), the opposition party loses by 6 percentage points, there is a message for the losers.  Please continue to ignore it; you’re adding votes to progressive tallies on an hourly basis. 

“MoveOn” is the slogan of the day; got that part right.

By Lawrence Farms East Resident on 11/09/2011 at 11:27 am

Now that the politicians are through campaigning, can we expect more years of money wasted on overpriced gazebos and inadequate tree cutting that fails to mitigate downed power lines in each storm that passes?

By End the waste on 11/09/2011 at 11:59 am

Signs and placards dont pollute - they are a healty sign of a good campaing and a fruitful and engaging campaign season. Whoever is taking them down under the guise of pollution needs to get a life.  I am always glad to see the signs and glad that someone wants to hold any sort of public office - it seems like thankless job. These signs are a sort of right of passage - something many of us grew up with and many of us actually appreciate - at is shows civic involvmeent with no other motive other than to get elected - so again stop whining about polution and goet over it

By Millwood 13 on 11/09/2011 at 12:32 pm

@process review: I agree the process needs to be revised.  It was easy for the official to see how we voted.

By two cents on 11/09/2011 at 1:42 pm

@Lawrence Farms East Resident-What exactly is the message?  That this is the Soviet Union and no dissidents are allowed?  Great progressive outlook.

By Chris Wolff on 11/09/2011 at 4:53 pm

Enough already with the “party” stuff.  If you love what the Dems are doing so much and believe in Big Government, you can “move on”.  Move east.  Like to Greece or Italy.

By To Lawrence Farms East on 11/09/2011 at 6:07 pm

Why haven’t all of the votes been counted yet?  Is there a problem with the machines?  What area hasn’t been counted yet?  Thanks!

Editor’s Note: One of the Roaring Brook districts had sheets that were missing the referendum side of the ballot.  They did something makeshift at the time, while they waited for new ones to arrive.

By just wondering..... on 11/09/2011 at 6:53 pm

@LFER: What is a “progressive tally”? 

By the way, my handle is “I’m moving” not “I’m moving on”.  The “on” comes from automatically generated time stamp.  But if you are seriously a member of MoveOn.org, then we need to have an entire different discussion.

By I'm Moving on 11/09/2011 at 9:49 pm

My fellow residents,

I have lived here for ten years and have watched our county and town continue to trend downward.  My taxes have more than doubled and I am receiving far less than I did in services as compared to when I first moved to town.  For the first time we appear to have a Westchester County Executive (Rob Astorino) who is working to help us.  Why did we send Mike Kaplowitz back for his 15th and 16th year when he allowed all this to happen while supporting Andy Spano and now is fighting Astorino’s reform efforts?  Why did we send back Democratic town council representatives for another 4 years in spite of very poor results in the last 4 years.

I am not judging anyone, I simply want to know why residents in this community feel compelled to simply pull the democratic line across on election day.  What am I missing?  What do you get from it?  I just want to know.  I am not judging one way or the other…I would love to hear from community members as I am in utter disbelief about the results…

By I Simply Want to Know on 11/09/2011 at 10:24 pm

From Choice Matters’  Political Action Committee

t might seem like there are no high-profile county-wide
races this year, but that is very wrong. This election is all
about Right to Life County Executive Rob Astorino and
whether he will take total control of Westchester Government.
The outcome of the election will determine whether Astorino
can push through his anti-woman/child/family/middle class
and working poor agenda or not. (That may seem like an
overabundant number of anti’s, but one look at his past
proposed budget is all it takes to know Westchester’s working
families won’t survive an Astorino regime.)
Astorino has hand-picked candidates who are endorsed
by the Right to Life (RTL), seeking the RTL endorsement, or claiming to be pro-choice but refuse to support for the Clinic
Access bill which protects women’s safety and privacy as they
enter and leave reproductive health centers…and which RTL
Astorino opposes.

If Astorino succeeds in getting his minions elected, there
will be no check and balance in Westchester County for a long
time to come.

Voters who turn out in 2011 will decide the make-up of
the Legislature for the next two years. Voters devoted to
certain issues can swing an election simply by a high turnout.

By Since You Asked on 11/10/2011 at 9:07 am

@ I Simply Want To Know,

It is the school taxes that have increased so drastically.  Direct your attention to the Chappaqua Central School Board..

By Ask the School Board on 11/10/2011 at 9:29 am

To I simply want to know:

Until there is mandate relief and the unions of this town, county and state are part of the solution instead of a core driver of the problem, you will continue to get less and pay more (take a look on the other side of the Atlantic).  Carpenter and Motel both said they understood the importance of mandate relief and how that is creating financial stress for all communities, especially ones like ours with a small commercial base which won’t change even if we double it.  If everyone is acknowledging this huge problem (town board, school board, etc.), when is someone going to actually do something about it other than raising taxes and laying off more workers. Increasing efficiency with tech is a start but that won’t do it alone. That extra DPW worker might have come in handy with the last two storms, but I guess that money got spent on the Gazebo or some other project where the money spent probably went to someone out of the town.  Would like to see a small plaque on the gazebo listing all the names of the people who approved it so future generations don’t forget.

By Always comes back to "Mandate Relief" on 11/10/2011 at 5:54 pm

Dear I Simply Want to Know,
When Republicans stop trampling on womens’ privacy rights, they might win a few more elections.

By It's That Simple on 11/11/2011 at 9:09 am

I now understand.

Because you think the election of Terence Murphy is magically going to result in the over-turning of Roe v. Wade on a national basis, we send Kaplowitz back again (his 15th year) to push Westchester towards bankruptcy.  As a staunchly pro-choice voter, I can tell you this is one of the most ridiculous statements I have ever seen.  The middle class is being pushed out of Westchester because of the skyrocketing cost of government with people like Kaplowitz pushing the effort.  Double-digit compensation raise for the county workers, who average over $100K in total compensation and contribute ZERO towards their health insurance.  Yes, that is ZERO contribution.  That is what is destroying the middle-class in Westchester.  Bloated government and union control of the legislature.  Your logic has validated one thing, for the sake of my kids and their economic future, we need to move…

By To Since You Asked on 11/11/2011 at 11:09 am

To To Since You Asked,

I see, you are a staunchly pro-choice supporter but it is of no consequence to you if Westchester women are denied access to the counties reproductive health centers, or if these centers continue to exist.  That was Murphy’s position.

If you do move, I suggest you make sure that you know where your tax dollars are going.

Good luck.

By I do not understand on 11/11/2011 at 7:26 pm