ELECTION ROUNDUP: historically low turnout for Malden city election Tuesday

Municipal election draws merely 15%; only 5,800 voters of nearly 38,000 registered turned out at the polls

By Steve Freker

There have been low turnouts before, but never THIS low. Not for a full municipal General Election. Malden’s voters made electoral history Tuesday and not for the most positive reason when a record low number of Maldonians turned out to perform their civic duty. A historic low turnout of merely 15% of Malden’s registered voters cast their ballots on Tuesday, the lowest number ever for a full municipal General Election. Only 5,798 voters came to the polls on Tuesday, with 37,854 Maldonians registered on the voting rolls. This was the first time in Malden’s history that voter turnout dipped below 20 percent in a General Election, the only time it has been in the teens and one of lowest turnouts — period — ever.

Turnouts have dropped precipitously in successive elections in the last decade or so, despite the number of registered voters rising. The nearly 38,000 registered voters is the largest number in city history as well. There was a very low 21.8% turnout in the 2023 election, despite the fact that there was a contested Mayoral Race. Just over 7,800 came to the polls.

In 2021, not a mayoral election, there was a 20% turnout, perilously close to the teens, but not yet there, as 7,100 voters voted. In 2019, 27% of the electorate voted — low, but still not considered alarming. In 2017, it WAS considered alarming with just 22% at the polls. In 2015 it was 21% in an uncontested mayoral election but this year, 15%! It was the “lowest of all lows.”

Michelle Luong is the newest ‘School Committee to City Council’ leap

Councillor-at-Large-Elect Michelle Luong is the latest Malden candidate to make the leap from seated or former School Committee member to the City Council dais. Luong served on the Malden School Committee for three terms from 2013-2019. In the 2019 municipal election, she ran unsuccessfully for the Ward 7 City Council seat, which was ultimately won by Councillor Chris Simonelli by a 509-386 margin (57-43 percent).

Luong launched a Councillor-at-Large campaign this year and what was perceived as an active campaign during spring, summer and fall that employed several different methods of outreach. The fruits of these labors were realized Tuesday when Luong finished third in the Councillor-at-Large list and claimed one of the three seats available.

Incumbents Karen Colón Hayes and Carey McDonald finished one-two in the race, and a third incumbent, 11-term, 22-year incumbent Craig Spadafora, finished fourth and out of the running for the first time since 2003.