New Bedford residents share thoughts at the polls on Super Tuesday

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — Nearly 70,000 people are registered to vote in New Bedford, but early numbers showed voter turnout was on the lighter side.

Even with a lower turnout, thousands of residents came out on a rainy day for this year’s primary election.

Poll workers told ABC 6 News crews it was a quiet day across New Bedford for the primary.

The voters that did come out had a range of reasons, including a common thread of family members urging them to vote.

“My mom kind of brought me out here, she said to come vote,” said Thiago Palma. “I never voted before, so I decided to come.”

“The only reason I came out was because I called my sister who just attended the poll down on the Cape,” said Paul Kenyon. “And I said ‘jeepers, maybe I ought to get up there and do that too.’ That’s the reason I came out.”

A repeated concern for voters was the candidates’ age this November.

“Well, I feel that the president that we have now, I’m not saying that he’s a bad president, but the next four years is going to be tough for him physically,” said John Andrade.

“I think Joe Biden has done a terrific job,” said Lydia Vincent. “Yeah, he’s 80 years old, but Mr. Trump isn’t a hell of a lot younger.”

With Super Tuesday in the books, it is all but guaranteed we will see President Joe Biden in a rematch against Donald Trump this November.

“I’m an independent, but my decisions are changing,” said Richard Ribeiro Jr.  “Because a lot of things going on in this country ain’t right that I don’t think the Democratic party is addressing.”

However, to get the nomination candidates need half of their party’s delegates.

That will not be possible for either party until around the middle of March, after a few more states vote.

With a few New England states in the books, Rhode Island’s primary is only a month out on April 2.

Voter registration has closed for the R.I. primary, but the deadline to request a mail-in ballot is March 12.