A moribund election season feels – for the most part – even more drab on Election Day, if that could have been believed.

But it’s true.

The energy level for politics is not there.

It’s the Democratic Party, fulfilling the machinery of destiny, or rather the destiny of machinery; and Republicans unnerved by it, and a swath of centrists who don’t occupy public payrolls with their heads in their hands.

A few conversations revolved around an editorial penned by the Star-Ledger, and the stakes of our system of government itself, in the face of the Jan. 6th U.S. Capitol desecration.

But no one seemed intent on occupying a parapet.

InsiderNJ put a call into a blue collar town packed with Building Trades guys.

“It’s light, which is good for Phil,” said the source, an ally of incumbent Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, with one eye on the movements of what poll members describe as white, non-college educated males, and their potential to ignite on behalf of challenger Jack Ciattarelli.

Apparently, they’re not.

A call went into the South Ward of Newark.

The source gave a dissertation on the disconnect between political rhetoric and the reality of conditions on the ground.

“It’s tough to tell, of course, with COVID,” the source said, regarding voter performance at the polls.

A second source described people trudging to the polls, not with any urgency.

“You know,” he said. “The Democratic Party,” meaning that part of the population tied to the nexus of patronage.

State Senator Ronald L. Rice (D-28) was in gear on behalf of Murphy.

“It’s a little quiet right now, but it was good to see young people as well as older people this morning,” said the West Ward diehard. “We’re trying to get the numbers up for him. We’re working the phone banks, the committed voters. We’re doing the things you do in a regular campaign. We’ll have a better read in the afternoon.

“Essex is important for Murphy,” added Rice, in reference to the county with the most registered Democrats. “If Blacks and Latinos stay home he’s going to be in trouble. Some of the minorities did well with his policies. The concern is we can’t seem to address the economic justice issues. We give lip service, but we must and we will continue to push the economic justice piece, including infrastructure for our urban cities. We’ve received federal money to help people with rent but nothing for the kids. Our playgrounds have been closed, some of them used as parking lots. We need infrastructure.

“There’s been moderate activity at the polls, but it’s not the same [as pre-COVID],” the veteran Newark-based senator added. “The new machines make people uncomfortable. They want to push those buttons, just like they do at the casinos. But there’s a long battle ahead.”

Rice’s slate mate, Assemblyman Ralph Caputo (D-28) saw a similarly party-performing cycle.

Nutley. Belleville. Even the South Ward.

All registered decent numbers; nothing that would rise above the level of “quiet.”

If Rice identified a lack of real, deep substantive policy initiatives to change people’s lives for the better as partly the culprit in creating voter apathy, Caputo added impatience as a reason.

“The Democrats condemn their own – quickly,” he said, referring to President Joe Biden. “Give the guy a chance. He’s been in there nine months and they’re throwing him under the bus already.”

InsiderNJ checked with a Hunterdon source, too.

That’s movement conservative territory over there – the county that went for Steve Lonegan over Chris Christie in the 2009 Republican Primary.

It’s low population relative to eastern and northern New Jersey, and rural.

Asked if voting proceeded in a manner light or brisk, the source said, “Brisk.”

They were turning out for Ciattarelli, apparently; but brisk numbers there couldn’t overtake slow numbers in Essex.

Ocean would be more telling.

It was volatile.