PLAISTOW — Residents rejected Wal-Mart's bid to build its new supercenter at the corner of Main Street and Plaistow Road, with 1,285 opposed to the company's request to rezone three house lots and only 331 in favor.

The controversy was one of the big issues that drew voters to the polls yesterday in roughly twice the turnout typical for an annual town election, according to Assistant Moderator Norman Major.

The voter turnout was 28 percent. Town Clerk Maryellen Pelletier said 1,709 of 6,175 registered voters cast ballots.

In one of two contested races, incumbent Daniel Poliquin and Michelle Curran won the four-way election for two seats on the Board of Selectmen. Another incumbent, Larry Gil, did not seek re-election as selectman but was the victor in the two-way race for a Planning Board seat. He defeated Neal Morin.

Voters defeated a $100,000 warrant article to build a new playground and a shelter at the recreational fields off Old County Road. They also rejected a $60,000 appropriation to build sidewalks along part of Danville Road. The other warrant articles seeking money passed, including the $7.3 million operating budget and $160,000 requested for the Fire Department's replacement truck.

But despite the money questions, the proposed rezoning was foremost on many voters' minds.

"Wal-Mart was the big issue," resident Rhonda Zarbolias said. "We don't want them to put it where they're proposing it. It'd be unsafe."

Wal-Mart, which has a store at 58 Plaistow Road, had announced plans to build a new store, with a grocery, on the corner lot beside Sanborn's Fine Candies. Although the giant retailer may have enough commercial land at the site to go forward, the company's lawyer, Peter Imse of Concord, has implied that Wal-Mart needs additional land. Imse said three house lots on Main Street are either under purchase-and-sale agreements or in negotiation.

But voters needed to OK rezoning of the three lots to commercial property to allow for Wal-Mart's project.

Zarbolias and her husband, David Zarbolias, said Wal-Mart would bring too much traffic to Main Street.

Betsy Rensa gave the same reason.

"Right now, we have such an issue with traffic going through the rural neighborhoods to connect to Route 125," Rensa said. A new "super-duper Wal-Mart" would aggravate the congestion, she said.

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