Dorothy Demors, one of the poll workers at the Narrangsett Pier School, looks over the lineup of waiting voters at the polling station yesterday.

The Providence Journal / Kris Craig

NARRAGANSETT — In the end, it came down to name recognition. With issues such as a homestead tax exemption and dealing with partying college students dominating a crowded Town Council race, voters chose three incumbents and a former councilman in yesterday’s election, leaving a fifth seat for one of the six newcomers who entered the race.

Krista J. Garrett, elected two years ago as a Republican and running this year as an independent, led the council race with 3,337 votes, according to results from the state Board of Elections. Following her were Democrats James Durkin, with 3,118 votes, T. Brian Handrigan, with 2,949 votes and George F. Lenihan Jr., with 2,846 votes. Lenihan previously served on the council from 1998 to 2002.

Republican Christopher Wilkens held the fifth slot with 2,600 votes, but with more than 500 absentee ballots uncounted and less than 100 votes separating Wilkens, Democrat Karen M. Chapman and Republican Lelia Palmieri, it was not clear who would emerge to win the fifth seat.

Name recognition also seemed to play a role in the School Committee race, where three of four incumbents and two former board members were leading. Democrat Susan Cicilline-Buonanno led with 3,691 votes, followed by Democrat Ann E. Masterson and Democrat Raymond A. Ranaldi, who served on the board from 2002 to 2004.

Nancy A. Devaney, running as an independent, was in fourth place, followed by longtime former board member Sheila Trainor, also running as an independent. As with the council race, the fifth seat appeared too close to call, with Trainor leading newcomer Tammy J. McNeiece by 48 votes. Incumbent Republican Diane S. Nobles was seventh, with 2,641 votes.

Win Hames, chairman of the Democratic Town Committee, said the results were good for the Democrats and for the town.

“We have three people on there,” he said of the council. “We’re pleased because we have the majority.”

Town polling centers saw a steady stream of voters from morning to dusk yesterday as residents weighed in on the local and state races and ballot questions.

Billing themselves as a team in what is technically a nonpartisan election, the Democratic council candidates pushed an 11-point platform, including a “fair and reasonable property tax solution” with a homestead tax exemption and senior and veterans tax exemptions. Other priorities included controlling partying college students and supporting the school building plan.

Garrett said the most important issues were passing a homestead exemption and dealing with partying students, while Wilkens and Palmieri’s priorities included preserving Narragansett’s seaside character, eliminating insider deals and adopting a “fair and balanced” homestead exemption.

At the polls, it seemed to be a mix of issues – national, state and local – that brought people out.

Dave Peterson said it was the casino referendum and the local council races.

Steve Fox said the biggest draw was the tight U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Lincoln D. Chafee and Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse.

“I thought the Democrats really did a good job of painting the issues as a referendum on George Bush,” he said.

Fox, a teacher at the Perkins School for the Blind, also supported the local school bond.

“I’ll always vote for schools,” he said. “In the long run, I think it picks up your property values.”

Katharyn Starr, a political science student at the University of Connecticut, said she arrived in town at about 7:50 last night to vote. Her top priority was voting for gubernatorial candidate Charles J. Fogarty, who she worked for as an intern this past summer.

People were ready to vote before the polls had even opened, said Democratic Town Committee member Richard Bourbonnais.

“I was here at 10 minutes to seven this morning and there were people waiting at the door to get in,” he said outside the Community Center on Mumford Road.

The election drew 7,010 of the town’s 12,921 registered voters, according to the town clerk’s office.