Update: Low Turnout for Referendum in Durham, Middlefield

Update 2:30 p.m.

As of 2 p.m. Thursday, 829 votes had been cast in the referendum on the Regional School District 13 2011-2012 budget.

540 votes were cast at Korn Elementary School in Durham, while 289 votes had been cast at the Community Center in Middlefield.

Original Story

Early polling numbers would indicate that today's referendum on the Regional School District 13 2011-2012 budget may have come as a surprise to some voters.

As of 9 a.m., the total combined votes cast in both Durham and Middlefield was down, when compared to the May 3 referendum.

In Durham, 179 voters had voted at Korn Elementary School, while 99 voters had cast ballots at the Community Center in Middlefield.

Registrars at both locations told Patch that the number of voters was lower for the second referendum, likely due in part to it being held on a Thursday. 

"Thursday is upsetting people because they're used to Tuesday," one of the registrars said.

Today's on the district's $34,786,974 proposed budget for the 2011-2012 school year was pushed back until May 26 due to Tuesday's public hearing and town meeting on Powder Ridge in Middlefield.

Polls are open until 8 p.m. at  in Durham and the  in Middlefield.