About 43% of registered voters in Washtenaw County cast ballots Tuesday
About 43 percent of Washtenaw County's registered voters cast their ballots in the midterm elections on Tuesday — more than doubling the turnout seen in the August primary election.
However, it was significantly less than the turnout in the presidential election of 2008, when about 69 percent of the county’s 273,670 registered voters made it to the polls.
Voters in Ann Arbor cast ballots early Tuesday.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
Washtenaw County Clerk and Register of Deeds Larry Kestenbaum said the turnout was about 15,000 fewer voters than in the 2006 midterm elections, which was a comparable election. However, the final number of voters is expected to be around 122,000, which was close to his prediction.
Kestenbaum said the lower numbers could be due to lower interest in this year's election.
"On the whole, we saw less interest in this election than past elections, less yard signs in lawns," he said.
Complete information from the state of Michigan on voter turnout wasn't available early Wednesday morning, as about 10 counties hadn't posted their turnout numbers.
Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land estimated 3.8 millions voters across the state cast ballots, about 52 percent of the state’s 7.3 million registered voters.
Ann Arbor city officials estimated on Tuesday between 30 percent and 40 percent of registered voters would show up.
The turnout around Washtenaw County was characterized as “average and steady” by Matt Yankee, the acting elections director of the county, at about 6 p.m.
Washtenaw County turnout was in the middle of the road compared to other area counties.
Unofficial data from Livingston and Oakland counties put their turnout rates at about 52 percent. Jackson and Wayne counties both had smaller turnouts than Washtenaw County, according to preliminary data. Jackson County had about 40 percent of voters come to the polls, and Wayne County had about 35 percent.
Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com.
Comments
Larry Kestenbaum
Fri, Nov 5, 2010 : 9:33 p.m.
The 43% figure is meaningless, because the voter rolls includes a lot of "deadwood", a lot of which dates back more than 20 years, before motor-voter Under current law, it is time-consuming and expensive to flag voters as probably no longer residing in the jurisdiction. Once flagged, it can take as much as four years to actually delete them. A more appropriate base for percentages would be the turnout in the 2008 presidential election, which was the biggest turnout we have ever seen. Essentially anyone who would ever vote cast a ballot then. By that standard, Washtenaw County had about a 65% turnout last Tuesday.
aavoter
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 4:42 p.m.
People around the world are literally "dying" to vote; getting in line with sucide bombers--While most Americans are sitting are the fat asses tweeting about "Dancing With the Stars."
flyer76
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 3:11 p.m.
@robyn...Bravo!!!
bhall
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 2:59 p.m.
Waiting 15 minutes was a problem to vote? Imagine you're running an election. You have two times when polls are busy -- before work, and after work. Should you run a polling station to meet the maximum capacity of those times -- meaning you have to get more volunteers, set up more voting booths, get more of everything -- and then it's empty the rest of the day -- or do you structure it so some people will wait. I waited 30 minutes to vote in the evening. But you know what, after I left, there was almost no line. It's a bubble of people that come through.
Barb
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 1:09 p.m.
Really @Walker? You think the African Americans are at fault here?
Soothslayer
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 1:08 p.m.
If you had to wait more than 15 minutes to vote something was wrong somewhere. Citizens should be able to come together to figure out how to handle voter turnout. Just borrow a regular flat table and then put recycled cardboard box dividers between the areas.
walker101
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 12:29 p.m.
Funny how almost 80% of the African Americans voted in 2008 and now could give a hoot about the Democraps during this mid term. Maybe they can get Polosi or Reid to run for President in 2010 and that will be the end of them.
David Briegel
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 11:42 a.m.
robyn, tell that to xmo. He has that most Republican of values, Voter Supression!
Chooch
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 11:23 a.m.
Perhaps that means 57% have woken up then...
Killroy
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 11:08 a.m.
Thanks for not voting. You reap what you don't sow.
kdadnick
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 10:41 a.m.
I worked the polls at Community High School, Ward 1, Precinct 3. We would have been THRILLED with 43%...we would have been happy with 25%. Our turnout, 16.57%. 1484 registered voters in our books, 246 ballots cast. Now THAT'S pathetic!
robyn
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 10:37 a.m.
My 14 year old is studying the Revolutionary War in her history class right now. This past weekend she was talking about how hard it was for the Contential Army and how much hardship they suffered fighting for the freedom of this nation. She told me about untrained civilians becoming soldiers, about how they had been undersupplied - food and things as simple as clothing was scarce not to mention equipment to fight. She went on about Valey Forge, where many just died from sickness, malnourishment, those that didn't lose their feet to frost bite went on to fight and win the final battles of the war. This was against a Britian that outnumbered them and out gunned them with hired soldiers. All for freedom and the right to control and participate in their own government. These people were willing to fight for and die to play a roll in the political process of being free and being heard by a government of their own making. And yet we take that for granted by not even bothering to get up off our butts and vote once or twice evry couple of years. There are NO terrorists waiting outside of the polls for us - to kill us for exercising our right to vote. There is no threat of having our hands or fingers hacked off so that we can't participate. All we have to do is walk in - tell them who we are and vote. They will even give you a cute little sticker that proudly proclaims you have voted... I didn't need my daughter to remind me to vote - I always do. But I was really proud of the fact that she understood what it took to give us that right/priviledge (and it IS a priviledge for us - we have given up NOTHING to vote - it was given up by other long before us). She understood that exercizing that right/priviledge was honoring those who fought and died to give it to us - and those who are still fighting and dying to assure others that right. Shame on the adults that don't 'get it'... Shame on you for not having the understanding that a mere 14 year old has.
SonnyDog09
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 9:51 a.m.
I waited over 45 minutes in line to vote at 3pm. I didn't mind the wait, too much, though. I listened to my "voting playlist" which starts off with "The Stars and Stripes Forever" to put me in the mood. I would have hated to see the lines if turnout had been heavy. Those cardboard voting kiosks must be very expensive, because they only had four of them set up. Next time I will remember to bring my own black magic marker so I can skip the line.
xmo
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 8:28 a.m.
Its too bad more of the Democrats didn't stay home and help the city,county, state and country out.
Soothslayer
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 8:10 a.m.
Wow, not even HALF the able voters bothered to show up. I don't want to hear ANY fussing & enjoy us running everything!
God Loves Us All
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 7:53 a.m.
Hope all the Liberals do not take this election the wrong way. It is defiantly not that Republicans have done much right. It is that they are closer to doing what the bible tells us to do than the Democrats. So God bless all who voted and those who stayed home. God will start blessing America as we turn to him again.
jjc155
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 7:42 a.m.
anyone else witness attempted voter fraud like I did? just curious.
MjC
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 7:19 a.m.
43% is a pathetic showing.