To complicate matters in an already complicated election, a stack of Democratic ballots shipped to the site were flawed and would not scan.
Longmeadow selectman Marie Angelides, a candidate for 2nd Hampden District state representative, waves to voters Thursday outside Longmeadow's Community House polling place.EAST LONGMEADOW - Amid an array of Democratic and Republican primary races, the GOP contest for 2nd Hampden Districtstate representative appeared to be the largest draw at Birchland Middle School - the town's single polling site.
And judging from the results, it was hardly a race. Longmeadow Republican Marie Angelides beat GOP contender Enrico "Jack" Villamaino easily amid a voter fraud scandal with 449 versus 87 votes in Villamaino's hometown.
Districtwide, Angelides beat Villamaino by a vote of 1,340 or 88 percent to 177 or 12 percent.
"Even David Duke won 10 percent of the vote," said James Driscoll, an East Longmeadow selectman on-hand for the tally.
Early results showed Angelides beat Villamaino 546 to 43 in Longmeadow, her hometown. The district also includes Monson.
East Longmeadow Town Clerk Thomas Florence said turnout was a record at 20 percent for a primary with only three contested races. Including absentee and write-in ballots, 2,133 were cast.
Poll workers and town officials were still painstakingly counting some ballots by hand nearly up to 10 p.m., as an influx in absentee ballots triggered the investigation now in the hands of the Hampden District Attorney's office.
Villamaino virtually dropped out of sight when his house was raided along with his now wife's, Courtney Llewellyn, another town employee, whom law enforcement officials have said was complicit in the alleged scam to falsify applications and smuggle out 200-plus absentee ballots.
Neither has faced criminal charges but Hampden County District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni has confirmed it is an active investigation that has yielded evidence now be analyzed.
Two state-appointed election officials were dispatched by the Secretary of the commonwealth's office to oversee dealings and ensure absentee ballots were counted by hand.
Angelides said she was appreciative to voters for coming out despite the apparent disappearance of her opponent.
"I was concerned people wouldn't consider this a legitimate primary," she said as the votes were counted. "But they did and I'm pleased and excited. I'm glad to start focusing on the issues."
She said she was not expecting a concession call from Villamaino in this climate, as he did not offer one in the previous primary for the same seat in 2010 when she beat him by 284 votes. Angelides ultimately was defeated by Brian Ashe, D-Longmeadow, whom she will face in the general election in November.
Florence said he believed the ballot fiasco galvanized voters.
"It seems to have brought the townspeople out. They want their voices to be heard," Florence said earlier in the night.
To complicate matters in an already complicated election, a stack of Democratic ballots shipped to the site were flawed and would not scan, Florence said. They ultimately sorted that issue out as well.
One woman who declined to be quoted by name arrived to find she was among the purported absentee balloters. However, Florence allowed her to recast her vote on-site and marked the ballot with a large "C" for certified.
"All I know is I guess they tried to do something wrong with the votes and they got caught," the woman said. "But as I understand it, I was able to cast my vote (properly) today."