Only a trickle of voters in Senate primary

By Noah Bierman and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

Voters trickled to the polls today to cast ballots in a special primary election to fill the US Senate seat left vacant by the late Edward M. Kennedy.

The polling place at Cathedral High School in Boston's South End seemed typical: Early turnout was no where near the level of traffic seen for last month's mayoral election. Even the sidewalk outside was largely empty, unlike the scrum of volunteers holding signs and passing out placards a month ago.

Still, Lauren Diop, 51, thought it was important to cast her vote for Martha Coakley. The home health nursing assistant is concerned about the economy, though unsure how much any of the candidates can do about it. She had to go from full-time to part time in recent months and, unlike other years, cannot find seasonal employment to pay for Christmas gifts.

"It's sad. I have a child 12-years old. We can only buy so many gifts," Diop said.

Coakley won her vote because she "cares about things that go on," Diop said, while conceding there is not much difference among the Democratic candidates on the issues.

Kennedy, she said, did a lot for the state and the country. "Somebody needs to pick up the mantle."

Mark Howard, a 32-year-old psychiatrist, also picked Coakley. Howard wants the next senator to quickly become a national leader and a voice for Massachusetts residents.

"It wasn't particularly about the issues to me. It was about who I felt was the most reliable among the candidates," he said. "It's a matter of establishing herself as a leader within the senate and trying to fill big shoes."

Four Democrats are vying today for the first open US Senate seat in the state in 25 years: Coakley, US Representative Michael E. Capuano, City Year cofounder Alan Khazei, and Celtics co-owner Stephen G. Pagliuca.

The winner of the Democratic race will face off in the Jan. 19 special election against the winner of today’s Republican primary, state Senator Scott Brown or Duxbury businessman Jack E. Robinson, who appeared in their only televised debate last night on WGBH-TV.

An independent candidate, Joseph L. Kennedy of Dedham, also filed sufficient signatures yesterday to qualify for the special election ballot, Secretary of State William F. Galvin said.

Turnout will probably be light, Galvin said, because of the off-season timing of the primary and a forecast of cold temperatures in the upper 30s. He projected it could be only as many as 600,000 voters out of 4.1 million eligible to cast ballots. Polls will remain open until 8 p.m.