Braintree Sees Nearly 80% Turnout, Bucks State By Going for Brown Over Warren

A higher percentage of residents showed up to the polls in Braintree to vote Tuesday than in 2008, launching President Barack Obama and Scott Brown to wins locally – victories that alternatively matched and contradicted results statewide.

Braintree saw 78 percent turnout, with 19,607 of 25,125 registered voters casting ballots. The results are unofficial until the Board of Registrars certifies them on Nov. 19 and they do not include provisional ballots.

"Anything above average is great," Town Clerk Joe Powers said.

The turnout was two points above 2008's 76 percent and three above the presidential year average since 2000. There were no major problems at Braintree's 12 precinct polling locations Tuesday, and aside from 7 a.m. opening lines, few backups. Powers credited the work of his election officials and volunteers and the cancellation of school in Braintree.

"It was a tremendous help for us," he said. "Every man and woman that assisted the Town of Braintree did an exceptional job and we're not done yet."

While few supporters outside polls in Braintree on Tuesday held signs for the presidential candidates, that national race, along with Elizabeth Warren vs.  Brown, brought a steady stream of voters from Flaherty to the Highlands.

Obama took 51 percent of the vote in Braintree to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's 47 percent – a result that signaled the town's more conservative leanings. Statewide, 60 percent of voters went for Obama and 38 percent for Romney, according to the Associated Press.

Braintree also went for Republican incumbent Brown over Democratic challenger Warren, 57 percent to 43 percent. Warren defeated Brown overall, though, with Massachusetts voters going for the Harvard professor 53 percent to 47 percent with a little more than 60 percent of results in late Tuesday night.

U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch cruised to an easy victory over Republican challenger Joe Selvaggi, taking 75 percent of the vote in the 8th Congressional District, according to CBS. In Braintree, voters gave Lynch 78 percent to Selvaggi's 22 percent.

On the three state ballot questions, Braintree was close to Massachusetts as a whole. Right to repair and medical marijuana both passed locally and statewide, while doctor-assisted suicide failed in Braintree by a fairly wide margin – 58 percent to 42 percent. Statewide, question two appeared too close to call as of late Tuesday night.

Braintree's state lawmakers – Sen. John Keenan, Sen. Brian Joyce and Rep. Mark Cusack – all ran unopposed and captured more than 98 percent of the vote locally.

For more details on Braintree results and updates from Tuesday's voting, go to http://braintree.patch.com/articles/braintree-election-results-2012-1f9d6658.