Low voter turnout was the trend of primary election day. Polling place after polling place reported slow going as voting progressed. The statistics released by the Morris County Clerk's office demonstrate just how unengaged the electorate was.  Out of a total of 30,613 registered Parsippany voters, 3,164 people cast votes in a polling place. An additional 723 voters sent in their ballots via the mail. The total vote count as of last night: 3,887, or 12.7 percent of registered voters. Here is the breakdown of yesterday's races with candidates' vote totals: TOWN COUNCIL - Four Year Seat …

The Morris County Clerk's office has released unofficial vote totals for Tuesday's primary election. These numbers have not yet been certified and do not include provisional ballots. For the Parsippany Troy-Hills Town Council, the Republican race gave apparent victory to three of the four incumbents running. Challenger Paul Carifi Jr. scored an upset, defeating Council President John Fox and another challenger, Roy Messmer. Barring any change in the totals, Carifi and council members Michael dePierro and Brian Stanton will face the Democratic nominees in the Nov. 2 general election. On the …

Before a full house at the old firehouse on Centerton Road Tuesday night, three incumbent Town Council members—along with challenger Paul Carifi Jr.—claimed victory in the Republican primary.  Using numbers Team Parsippany staffers gathered from polling places, council members Michael dePierro and Brian Stanton, as well as challenger Carifi, were declared the winners in the GOP primary, beating out Town Council President—and Team Parsippany member—John Fox. Fox conceded graciously and offered congratulations to all the unofficial winners. Carifi, who works with the Morris County sheriff's …

At Brooklawn Middle School, precious few voters showed up to vote during Patch's visit. "It's been slow the whole day," said election worker Eileen Steuer."Primaries tend to be slow," said Steuer's colleague Kiran Mahajan.Lillian McGlincy and her husband, Martin, were among the few voters Patch encountered at the polling place at 7:15 p.m."I'm so disappointed by the turnout," she said. "I think it's everyone's responsibility to vote. You can't complain about what's going on in government if you don't vote."McGlincy said the issue of education was the most important matter that compelled her …

Town Council candidate Roy Messmer says his Election Day has been a busy one. "I started early," he said. "I've been taking people to the polls, making phone calls, doing whatever I can to get out the vote." Messmer reported that he has seen light voter turnout all over town. "I expected that. It's an off-year," he said. "Without a gubernatorial race, a lot of people simply don't bother. And because the Republican Party has such a hold on the council, on the freeholders board, a lot of people stay home." Carol Kehoe, Parsippany's interim clerk, corroborated Messmer's findings. "When I went …

A visit to the Lake Hiawatha Elementary School gym finds a serene setting, which isn't good news on Election Day. Just after 11 a.m., election judge Walter Rusnak says turnout has been very low. "We estimate about five percent of registered voters have come in," he said. "I can't predict how the rest of the day will go." Rusnak said it isn't the unforgiving heat that is keeping voters away from the polling place. "There isn't much in the way of contests," he explained. "On the Democratic side, there is only one race, really." That race would be for Town Council, where Annelise Catanzaro, …

Voting continues to go slowly in Parsippany on this Election Day. At Knollwood Elementary School at just after 10 a.m., a poll workers said only 12 voters have made their way to the polling station so far. One of the early birds was Annelise Catanzaro, chairperson of the Municipal Alliance Committee and a candidate running for a Township Council seat on the Vote for Parsippany ticket. "I hope things get busier," she said, admitting to feeling some nervousness this morning. "I guess that's normal," she said. Catanzaro said she has been getting encouragement from the people of Parsippany. "I've…

At about 8 a.m., voting is underway at Rockaway Meadow School. "There isn't much going on," said poll worker Alice Kennedy. "It's going to be hot today, so I don't know if we'll get a big turnout, but we have a long day ahead of us." A few people are casting their votes as Township Council Vice President Michael dePierro enters the room. It's the last day of campaigning for dePierro, who is running for re-election. He says hello to everyone present before entering a voter booth and then making a quick departure. "I take nothing for granted," he said, walking out of the school building. …

The polls will be open Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., as candidates vie for party nominations for Parsippany-Troy Hills Town Council, Morris County Board of Freeholders, New Jersey General Assembly and state Senate seats. The winners of today's election in each of the party races face off against the winners of the other party's primary races in the Nov. 2 general election. A special Town Council vote will take place during today's election to decide who will complete the unexpired council term of Freeholder Ann Grossi. The seat is for two years. The candidates in today's election are: TOWN …

Janice McCarthy says Parsippany government is hamstrung by a rubber-stamp mentality and needs a shake-up."The current makeup of the Town Council and mayor’s office does not provide necessary checks and balances to ensure all constituents have a voice," she said. "Consistently having the same or like-minded individuals holding town government positions for so long denies substantive challenges and debate that creates a path to efficient and effective government."McCarthy, a Democrat, is part of the Vote for Parsippany ticket that seeks to loosen the grip of what it sees as a Republican …

"Long before there were bridges, libraries and recreation departments, government's primary job was to protect the people," said John Fox, president of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council. Fox is running for re-election to the council as part of the Republican Team Parsippany ticket. The slate, made up of four incumbents on the council, is committed to a platform promoting fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, and maintaining a high quality of life for town residents. As a veteran of the law enforcement field, Fox has a particular affinity for police officers and their mission to protect…

Parsippany voters hit the polls Tuesday for the 2011 primary election. On the ballot are candidates vying for the Democratic and Republican party nominations for the New Jersey General Assembly, the state Senate and the Morris County Board of Freeholders. There is also a local race that will fill three four-year seats on the Parsippany Township Council. Voters will also choose the man who take the council seat that belonged to Freeholder Ann Grossi; that seat covers a two-year term. Voting locations will be open Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Winners will take on the other party's nominees in …

Tuesday is the primary, and in Morris County, this is usually the most important election for state legislative and county races because of the Republican party’s domination. This year’s decennial redistricting of legislative district boundaries isn’t likely to change that. The most recent voter registration figures from the New Jersey Secretary of State’s office show that Democrats made only very slight gains in just the 25th and 26th districts, but both remain solidly GOP-leaning. Meanwhile, the 27th District, which only recently was redrawn to include some Morris communities, gained almost…

It's doubtful anyone who knows him would say Roy Messmer is anything but a leader and a take-charge kind of guy. A concerned citizen who regularly speaks his mind at municipal meetings, Messmer is making the leap to politician: The Republican is taking on the Team Parsippany slate of incumbents in hopes of winning a seat on the Town Council. While Messmer agrees that he is no follower, he balked at the notion of being a politician. "I am a concerned citizen standing up for people who don't go to the meetings," he said. "It's important to remind the people in power of who is really in charge …

Republican politicians are focused on keeping Democrats out of government, and it's time for a change, according to Tom Wyka. Wyka, an 18-year Parsippany resident and a proponent of open government, is running to Town Council as part of the Democratic Vote for Parsippany ticket, along with Annelise Catanzaro and Janice McCarthy. His background includes 20 years working in information technology. He earned a bachelor's degree in management from Bucknell University and an MBA from Seton Hall University. In addition to coaching football for the Police Athletic League and sitting on the finance …

Much of the attention in Tuesday's Town Council primary election is focused on the Republican battle between the incumbents and challengers Paul Carifi Jr. and Robert Crawford. There is, however, a contest on the Democratic side as well. Rainbow Lakes resident Robert Hofacker is running against the Vote for Parsippany ticket featuring Annelise Catanzaro, Janice McCarthy and Tom Wyka. Retired after 30 years at Alcatel-Lucent, Hofacker earned his political stripes serving on the Denville Chamber of Commerce Board. He is president of the New Outlook Pioneers of Morris County, vice president of …

After serving for seven years on the Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Education, Robert Crawford is seeking a new challenge and a new venue in which to serve: the Township Council. Crawford announced his decision last January. "I have made this decision not to run again as I believe in the value and importance of term limits for elected officials," he said in a statement at the time. "Despite the institutional knowledge that an experienced official may bring to the job, I believe that an official who stays in an elected office for too long, risks losing the ability to challenge and thereby …

Brian Stanton is running for his first full term as a member of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council. He became a council member in January 2010, filling the former seat of Mayor James Barberio.  "I am running for re-election because I truly believe that I have demonstrated my commitment and dedication to our community," he said. "I have a great deal more to offer." Stanton is part of the Team Parsippany ticket, which includes fellow council incumbents John Fox, Michael dePierro and Vincent Ferrara. According to the candidate, the team has done a good job so far. "The work that I have …

Paul Carifi Jr. says he has always had a sense of what's right and what's wrong. It is that sense that he says led him into the field of law enforcement, into working for Republican organizations, and into his present candidacy for a four-year seat on the Parsippany Township Council. In the June 7 primary election, Carifi faces a huge challenge—unseating one of the council's incumbents. Council President John Fox, Vice President Michael dePierro and member Brian Stanton are running for re-election together on the Team Parsippany ticket. Beating any one of them is a tall order, but the …

Vincent Ferrara sees himself as the Town Council's new kid. Ferrara cannot call himself a novice. He has been on the panel since January 2011 and serves as the council's liaison to the Library Board, the Environmental Advisory Committee and the Chamber of Commerce. But he won his council seat (which previously belonged to former member Ann Grossi, who won a seat on the Morris County Select Board of Freeholders) via an appointment by the Republican Municipal Committee. That makes this election his first as a Town Council candidate. "I am excited to have the opportunity to come before the …