A low voter turnout, particularly in areas which are traditionally strongholds of the progressive Cambridge Civic Association, suggests the more conservative Independents may have fared well in yesterday's Cambridge city elections, observers say.

In general, the Independents fare best in North and East Cambridge, while the progressive candidates have most support in the center of the city--Harvard and Central Squares, Cambridgeport and the suburban West Cambridge. In addition, low turnouts usually help Independent candidates, said Peter Scheinfeld, the vice chair of the Republican City Committee.

Voter turnout was good in North and East Cambridge, said Election Commissioner Sondra Scheir, but weaker in the rest of the city. "The middle of the city, I think, was dead," Scheir said.

David R. Leslie '69, the executive director of the CCA, said he was "concerned" by the appearance that voter turnout in some CCA strongholds was low.

But he added that there was no evidence that the turnout by CCA supporters had decreased any more than the turnout of the city at large. He said the apparent results could be due to a change in precinct lines since the last election.

Unofficial counts suggest that about 22,133 people went to the polls yesterday, but all of these people did not necessarily cast valid ballots. At the last city election two years ago, roughly 23,500 people cast valid ballots, at least five percent more than this year.

Turnout by Harvard students was low, with only about 92 people voting in Quincy House, where residents of the river houses vote, said Scheinfeld, who worked as a clerk at the Quincy House polling place.

But it is difficult to predict through just voting patterns who will ultimately win the election.

Proportional representation, the form of balloting used in Cambridge, allows citizens to rank their choice of candidates, and then redistributes votes when candidates reach a quota of approximately 10 percent of the votes cast. Which candidate a person's vote counts for under this system depends on the votes of other people.

"Under PR, with the vote transfer process, evena very sophisticated exit poll could not tellyou," said R. Phillip Dowds, the president of theCCA.

The Cambridge ballots were delivered to theLongfellow School last night, where they were tobe guarded through the night by two policeofficers, said Cambridge Police Deputy Yvonne M.Hall. About 100 people will gather in the schoolgymnasium today to count ballots.

Preliminary results of the city councilelection will be available today, but its finalresults will not be available until Saturdaynight, said Election Commissioner Darleen G.Bonislawski. The school committee will beannounced by Tuesday.

Other Races

Cambridge wasn't the only place where electionstook place yesterday. In all, there were races orballot questions in 29 states.

In Boston, Thomas Menino coasted to victory; hehad been acting mayor since Raymond L. Flynn wasnamed Vatican envoy.

Republican George Allen handily won theVirginia governor's race yesterday, ending 12years of Democratic rule in Richmond. Allen'svictory in Virginia over Democrat Mary Sue Terrygave the GOP the night's first major trophy. With97 percent of the vote counted, Allen wascomfortably ahead with 58 percent to Terry's 41percent.