Boston vote comparison: 2005, 2001, and 1997

The chart below compares the number of ballots cast in Boston elections with a vote for mayor. One factor that skews the comparison is that the mayor was unopposed in 1997. Likewise, the presence of a challenger from South Boston may account for some of the increase in votes from that part of the city in 2001, and for the fall-off in 2005, when the challenger was from Jamaica Plain. The number of ballots cast in 2005 increased over that for 2001 by almost 4.1%, even though turnout (the percentage of those registered who voted) decreased slightly, from 36.2% to 35.6%. The reason for what seems contradictory is that the number of people registered to vote in Boston increased over the last four years by 15,250 or 5.9%. (Analysis and bar graph by Chris Lovett)

Mattapan: only areas
in Ward 18

Ward 1: East Boston

Ward 2: Charlestown

Ward 3: N. End/Waterfront,
Leather District, Chinatown

Ward 4: Fenway/S. End

Ward 5: Back Bay/Beacon Hill

Ward 6: South Boston

Ward 7: South Boston, Edward Everett Square

Ward 8: Lower Roxbury (Crosstown Area)

Ward 9: Lower Roxbury,
S. End

Ward 10: Mission Hill,
Hyde Square

Ward 11: Egleston Square and Forest Hills

Ward 12: Roxbury

Ward 13: Uphams Corner, Columbia-Savin Hill

Ward 14: Grove Hall, Franklin Field,  Wellington Hill

Ward 15: Fields Corner and Meeting House Hill

Ward 16: St. Mark's Area and Neponset

Ward 17: Codman Square, Ashmont Hill and Lower Mills

Ward 18: Hyde Park, parts of Mattapan, Roslindale

Ward 19: Jamaica Plain (Pondside, Jamaica Hills), part of Roslindale

Ward 20: West Roxbury and part of Roslindale

Ward 21: Allston and part of Brighton

Ward 22: Brighton (including Oak Sq.)