LOWELL - Elections officials were predicting a better than average turnout in Tuesday's city election, with voters eyeing both established names and new faces in the race for City Council.

"We started somewhat slow, but in the last couple of hours it has really picked up speed," said Election Commissioner Tom O'Brien at noontime Tuesday. "So far, I'd project around 12,000 voters by the end of the day." In the September preliminary, 6,696, or 12 percent, of the city's 56,093 registered voters cast ballots.

Voters who spoke to The Sun on Tuesday said they favored having a City Council with both experience and fresh ideas. Among those voter voices:

Cheryl Kim, who voted at the McAvinnue School on Mammoth Road around 11 a.m: "We'd like to see new faces. Mix thingsup a little."

Kim said she voted for incumbent Councilor Rodney Elliott, along with challengers Corey Belanger, Stacie Hargis and Derek Mitchell.

At the Robinson School on June Street, Richard Goldin said he follows council meetings closely and supported his favorite incumbents, Bill Martin, Joseph Mendonca and Vesna Nuon, along with newer names Hargis and Mitchell. Godin voted for candidates that he said most support City Manager Bernie Lynch.

"I think Bernie Lynch is brilliant," he said.

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Catherine Karuga-Ndivo said she showed up to vote mostly to support Hargis, particularly for her work as director of the Merrimack Valley Small Business Center. She also supported a mix of other candidates.

"Some old-guard and some new ones," she said.

Troix Bettencourt, voting at Reilly Elementary School in Belvidere, said "newer faces" are a priority.

"Growing up