Election Day turnout is low despite stakes in City Council election

Voters in Boston are trickling into polling places Tuesday in an election that could reshape the balance of power on the city council.

As of noon, little more than 9% of registered voters had cast ballots, according to data provided by the city.

That pokey pace was evident earlier in the morning, too. At the voting location in Cristo Rey High School in Dorchester, poll warden Kristen Wallace said she'd mostly seen regular voters coming through the door.

"People don't vote for these because they don't even know they exist," she said.  "There's a ton of faithful people, and even if they don't come in person they do the early voting or absentee ballots. We have more absentee and early voting ballots than people so far today."

The day's election features competitive races for the city's at-large councilors, and some high-profile district councilor races, including an open race to replace the outgoing Frank Baker in District 3.

In Districts 5 and 6, a wide pool of candidates are jockeying to replace incumbents Ricardo Arroyo and Kendra Lara, who were both knocked out of contention in shocking preliminary election losses.

Polls in the city will close at 8 p.m.