Branford experienced a "slow" start at the polls this morning that stretched into noon.

"It's a little bit slow,"  Branford Republican Registrar of Voters Marion Burkhard told Zip06 at noon today. "It hasn't picked up all that much."

At noon, Burkhard pulled the numbers for District Five (Indian Neck School), traditionally the busiest polling place among Branford's seven districts. She said the District 5 number looked low.

"At noon, it was 599 and they usually run a little bit higher among all of them," said Marion. 

When asked to compare the early response to the morning numbers at polls during the last municipal election in 2013, Burkhard said, "I think its lower this time."

State Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr. (D, District 12)was visiting polls at towns in his district, including Branford, this morning. He told Zip06 he hoped people would come out to vote today.

"People may not realize municipal elections -- deciding who leads our towns -- impacts more issues in our life than national elections," said Kennedy. "We have a nice day, and we're hoping that a lot of people exercise their right to vote. I feel that unless you vote, you really don't have the right to complain. And there's people around the world that are fighting, that are giving their lives for the right to vote. And sometimes, we take that for granted in the United States."

Branford polls are open until 8 p.m. tonight.

Marianne burkhard