Front Royal mayoral candidates Eugene Tewalt and Hollis Tharpe wanted to greet as many voters as possible on Tuesday.

The problem was, there weren't that many voters to greet.

By 2 p.m., Front Royal election officials calculated about a 10 percent turnout among the six polling stations- a number far lower than hoped.

"It's a town election, and the town should be out expressing themselves," remarked Lee Ruddle, the secretary for the Electoral Board of Warren County. "It's a freedom that they have."

The mayoral contest was hardly the only show in town.
Residents cast votes for three new council members to join a group that already includes mainstays like current Councilman Thomas Sayre.

"Whoever wins [the race] for mayor, we're still going to get four new people," observed Sayre. "It will be a dramatic change on the council."

For some first-time candidates like Tom Conkey, gaining recognition among voters was just as important as communicating stances on hot-button issues.

"A lot of these folks have a lot of good history here in town," said Conkey. "I've been out knocking on doors and introducing myself to as many new people as I can, but I'm a new face and a bit of an unknown
quantity."

In casting their ballots for mayor and council seats, some voters favored change, while others sought out continuity.

"I think we need some new blood on the town council in Front Royal," declared Dean Reynolds, who voted for Hollis Tharpe for mayor.

Father Christopher Pollard observed, "it seems to me in a small town continuity is pretty important, in terms of how planning takes place from one year to the next, or from one decade to the next."

The polls officially closed at 7 p.m., with results expected around 8.

If Eugene Tewalt- who currently sits on the town council- wins the mayoral race, a new member will be appointed in his district.

The voter turnout for the previous Front Royal town elections hovered at 16 percent.