PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Tricia Farley-Bouvier captured the Democratic nomination for 3rd Berkshire District in a special election primary on Tuesday that saw low turnout.

Farley-Bouvier, a former city councilor, topped her opponents by only a few hundred votes, garnering 1,430 votes to Peter White's 1,234 and Ryan Scago's 1,082.

About 17 percent of registered voters went to the polls. Votes were also cast in the Green-Rainbow Party primary for Mark Miller and as write-ins the Republican Party primary to place Mark Jester on the ballot for October.

Farley-Bouvier was magnanimous in victory, saying that she had "tremendous respect" for the other two candidates.

"This was the cleanest, friendliest campaign I've ever participated in," she told iBerkshires on Wednseday.

She will face off in less than a month against Miller, Jester and independent Pam Malumphy to see who will fill the state representative seat left vacant by Christopher Speranzo.

Meanwhile, White says he will mount a write-in campaign to see if he can hold onto his Ward 2 seat on the City Council. Kevin Morandi is running unopposed for the seat; White beat him for the council spot two years ago. Under Massachusetts electoral law, there is no minimum number of votes required for a write-in candidate — to win, they simply have to receive the highest number of votes.

"I'm not done serving Pittsfield," White told supporters gathered at Patrick's Pub on Tuesday. "I'm not ready to give up my Ward 2 seat."

White pledged to support Farley-Bouvier going forward in the special election.

"Make sure you listen to what goes on in this campaign, because everything we've talked about in this campaign still needs to be fought for. We still need single-payer health care, we still need jobs in Pittsfield, we still need to change our educational system," he said.

Farley-Bouvier also praised White's announcement that he will seek election through a write-in campaign for Ward 2. "At the very beginning of this campaign, I told Pete how valuable I believe he is on the City Council," she said. "I'm absolutely thrilled he will run for re-election to his seat."

She said one of the biggest concerns will be getting out ballot-weary voters for the special election on Oct. 18. Counting Tuesday's primary and the city's preliminary election on Tuesday, Sept. 27, it will be the third election in less than a month for Pittsfield. The general election is Nov. 8.

"The biggest surprise yesterday was the voter turnout, which was very low," said Farley-Bouvier. "So one of the big things will be educating people and making them aware that there is a special election going on."

Updated on Sept. 21, 12:03 p.m.

 Update 11:00 p.m.

Well, the votes are in and Tom Bowler and Gailanne Cariddi are the big winners so far tonight. In the 2nd Berkshire District, Michael Case beat out Rosanne Frieri for the Republican nomination but we here it's still neck and neck in the Democratic primary between Tom Szczepaniak and Paul Mark. The Berkshire Eagle called the race for Szczepaniak at 10 p.m. but an hour later PCTV said Mark was in the lead by 6 percent.

Update: 7:38 p.m.

The North County towns are reporting at least 30 percent turnout. In Adams, some 1,874 had voted by 6 p.m. with 33 percent turnout at the town's DPW garage. The town has 5,634 registered voters.

This was the first election for new Town Clerk Haley Meczywor, who described the experience as "interesting." "You really don't know what's going on [in an election] until you've been here all day," she said. "It's been really interesting."

Clarksburg had a 37 percent turnout at 7:20, with 409 voting out of about 1,119 registered voters. Cheshire had a 32.5 percent turnout shortly before 7, with 1,874 ballots cast out of 5,634 voters. Cheshire, in the 2nd District, had primaries for both Democrats and Republicans. We're told few Republican ballots were selected.

Update 4:59 p.m.

We're getting a late start with election news today but we can tell you that voting is steady in the three biggest North County towns. In North Adams, nearly 2,000 had already cast votes with three hours left. Poll workers at St. Elizabeth's Parish Center, site of voting for Wards 1, 2 and 5, said the turnout has been steady since early this morning.

Last year's hotly contested mayoral election in the city saw more than 5,200 votes cast; that compares to just under 4,000 for the special Senate election that featured native daughter Martha Coakley.

"We vote whenever there's an election," said Donna LaValley-Leary of Ward 5.

We ran into David Bissaillon outside the North Adams polling station. The Adams resident is running for 1st Berkshire District and said he had a good feeling about the voting so far.

The former chamber president said he'd spent four or five hours in the hilltowns and in Franklin and Hampshire counties this morning. "I wanted to get to them and spend some time there," he said, adding that it was quiet at the polling stations but he expected things to pick up later in the day.

He was more pleased with a heavy turnout in Adams and Williamstown.

"I think it will be a strong turnout ... whatever happens, we'll all be smiling at the Bounti-Fare later."

Dan Bosley, the man whose shoes Bissiallon is trying to fill, was headed back to his office. He too was pleased with the turnout in his stamping grounds. Turnout will be critical factor in the race for sheriff, with Pittsfield native Tom Bowler expected to do well in his hometown. However, the county's biggest city has no other races on the ballot to draw voters out.

The mayoral election last year drew 13,215 votes, or around 46 percent; a similar number voted in the special Senate election. Pittsfield's primary last September drew fewer voters, but still nearly 8,000 for a 28 percent turnout.

	Berkshire County Sheriff
	Thomas N. Bowler	Daniel E. Bosley

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — It's decision time in Berkshire County, especially for two elected positions.

On Tuesday, voters in North County and parts of Franklin and Hampshire will determine their state representative for the next two years in the Democratic primary. Barring a last-minute write-in for November, the Democratic winner of the 1st Berkshire District primary on Tuesday will sail to a predetermined victory.

The same goes for Berkshire County sheriff, where two Democrats are facing off for the six-year position. The last occupant of the office, Carmen C. Massimiano, quietly held onto the powerful political spot for 32 years. He hadn't been challenged since 1980 until Thomas N. Bowler announced his intention to run. Massimiano decided to retire and soon after Daniel E. Bosley, another powerhouse Democrat and dean of the Berkshire delegation at the State House, tossed his hat in the ring.

In the 1st District, three Democrats are vying to step into the shoes of Bosley, who's been representing North County and outlying towns for 24 years. Gailanne Cariddi has been city councilor in North Adams for 20 years and has consistently been among top vote-getters in city elections; Edward MacDonald is currently town administrator for Chester, in the 4th District, but hails from Adams, where he served a term as selectman; and David Bissaillon, also of Adams, is a vice president with Coakley, Pierpan, Dolan & Collins and former president of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce.

Voters the 2nd Berkshire District, which cuts a large swath across the county and includes towns in Franklin and Hampshire, will select nominations in both Republican and Democratic primaries to face off against independent Stefan G. Racz of Buckland in November.

On the Democratic ballot are Thomas S. Szczepaniak, a three-term Dalton selectman and owner of Variety Trucking; Noreen P. Suriner, a retired Episcopal, former teacher and Middlefield selectwoman; and Paul W. Mark of Hancock, a Verizon technician and labor attorney with strong roots in local union activities. On the Republican side are military veterans Michael Case, a retired Pittsfield Police officer and Guardsman who served in combat areas, and Rosanne M. Frieri of Richmond, Pittsfield's veterans service agent and staff sergeant in the Air National Guard.

Also on Tuesday's ballot are nominations for state auditor. In the Democratic camp are Great Barrington resident Suzanne M. Bump, Guy William Glodis of Auburn and Mike Lake of Boston; the Republicans are fielding Mary Z. Connaughton of Framingham and Kamal Jain of Lowell. There also is a race for the Democratic nomination for state treasurer between Steven Grossman of Newton and Stephen J. Murphy of Boston.

More information on the candidates, including letters, articles and statements can be found on the blog or go directly to their websites through the links on the sidebar. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; find your voting location here.

Check the blog later today for update on voting and election news. You'll have the results from the major communities as soon as we do. Check on on Twitter at @iberkshires or our Facebook page and send info to us the same way. Editor Tammy Daniels will join Richard Taskin and Paul Hopkins at Northern Berkshire Community Television at 7 p.m. You can also follow our partners on the Berkshire News Network at WSBS, WBEC and WNAW for election coverage.

Get out the vote!

	1st Berkshire District
	David R. Bissaillon	Gailanne M. Cariddi	Edward MacDonald

	2nd Berkshire District / Democrat
	Paul W. Mark	Noreen M. Suriner	Thomas S. Szczepaniak

	2nd Berkshire District / Republican
	Michael F. Case	Rosanne M. Frieri

Massachusetts voters have until Wednesday, Aug. 25, to register to vote in the Sept. 14 primary. Most town and city clerks will be open late Wednesday to accommodate voter registration; check with your town or city hall to confirm times.

Berkshire County will be selecting from a range of state offices on Sept. 14, including state representatives in the 1st and 2nd districts and sheriff on Sept. 14, to determine the Republican and Democratic candidates for the November election.

Vermont's holding its primary elections earler than usual: voting is tomorrow, Tuesday, Aug. 24, with the main event the selection of a Democratic candidate for governor in the general election.

On the Democratic ballot are state Sen. Susan Bartlett of Hyde Park; six-term Secretary of State Deb Markowitz of Montpelier; state Sen. Douglas Racine of Richmond, a former lieutenant governor; state Sen. Peter Shumlin of Putney, current president pro tem of the Senate; and Google executive and former legislator Matt Dunne of Hartland.

The winner will face the Republican candidate, current Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, and Progressive candidate Martha Abbott and independents Cris Ericson, Dan Feliciano, Ben Mitchell, Em Peyton and Dennis Steele on Nov. 2.

Polls open in Pownal at 7 a.m. at the Pownal Center firehouse; in Readsboro at 10 a.m. in the school gym; and in Stamford at 10 a.m. in the school gym. All polls close at 7 p.m. For other polling locations and opening times, click here.