Primary races drawing only a trickle of Washtenaw County voters to polls
Voters fill out forms before casting their ballots this morning at Haisley Elementary School in Ann Arbor.
Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com
Feelings were strong, but the stream of voters was barely at a trickle at Washtenaw County polling places for today's primary election.
“It’s been a pretty light morning,” said Ann Arbor City Clerk Jackie Beaudry around noon.
She said there would be no official word of voter turnout until a few hours after the poll close at 8 p.m.
Debbie Foster, a recently retired teacher and 4th Ward voter, rode her bike to Pioneer High School to cast her ballot mid-morning.
Foster said concern about the economy, jobs and education were the most important issues for her this election season. "Michigan has to get back on its feet.”
Just before 11 a.m. Tuesday, Foster was one of only 40 voters who had come to Pioneer High School to cast ballots.
“It has been fairly slow,” precinct chairman Albert Fillion said. “For a primary, I think the turnout is about average.”
Election Day
Foster said the gubernatorial race was the main one that brought her out to cast her vote.
Her pick: Virg Bernero over Andy Dillon. But she said if Dillon and Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder, a Republican, face off in November, she would cross party lines to pick Snyder.
Foster and other teachers voting Tuesday declared Dillon enemy No. 1.
Dillon favors the state’s Race to the Top legislation, which would tie teacher pay to student performance and create more charter schools. He’s also in favor of a push for a state-run health insurance plan for teachers.
“Snyder has experience creating jobs - we have to create jobs and bring business here,” she said.
Fifth Ward poll workers at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library said 24 voters had come through the doors by 11 a.m. Polling places in residential areas in that ward seemed to be busier. At the Second Baptist Church of Ann Arbor, 850 Red Oak Road, 60 residents had cast ballots by 11 a.m.
In Ypsilanti, first-term Mayor Paul Schreiber faces a challenge in the Democratic primary from Peter Murdock, the former mayor who now serves on City Council in Ward 3.
Despite the contested race, “It’s a little slow,” said Ed Golembiewski, deputy city clerk for Ypsilanti. “I think we’ll probably fall in line with the state’s prediction of around 20 percent.
“It’s average turnout for a primary.”
Sandi Morgan, elections chair of Ward 2, Precinct 1 in Ypsilanti's Estabrook Elementary, called turnout "pretty normal, maybe a little light for what we'd expect for a primary." An estimated 200 people had voted as of 4:15 p.m.
At Ward 1, Precinct 1 in the Perry Child Development Center, about 146 voters cast ballots by 3:15 p.m., said precinct chair Laura Stimpson.
"It's a light day," Stimpson said at about 3:15. "It should pick up in the evening though."
Walter and LaShawn Boykin cast ballots in Ypsilanti's Ward 1, saying it's their civic duty to vote.
"People have died to give us that right. I really believe we should take advantage and vote every time," LaShawn Boykin said. "A lot of the local candidates actually stopped by. I appreciated that, and that personal touch makes you want to come show support."
Voters in Saline are deciding whether to approve a $28 million bond resolution that will fund infrastructure and technology improvements for Saline Area Schools. Saline residents pay 7 mills toward the current bonds and would continue paying that under the proposed extension.
Despite the millage extension, city clerk Dianne Hill said the turnout was “Very slow.”
“Every primary is like this,” she said.
AnnArbor.com's James Dickson contributed to this story.
Juliana Keeping is a reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
Comments
Cash
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 5:28 a.m.
Yes, Lorie, I am aware of that. But if you are an honest person and read the reasons to request an absentee ballot, it's not as easy as it seems. Absentee ballots or vote by mail should be available for everyone without having to lie about it. And you should be able to receive an absentee ballot every single election if so requested. That used to be the case but was changed so now the extra step of requesting one each and every election was added.
pseudo
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 4:42 a.m.
@cash, You don't have to wait to be "old" to vote absentee. Each time you move the very first vote you cast must be in person. After that, its take a little effort but you can vote early in the comfort of your own home - just have an excuse (possible travel, possible involvement in a campaign, possible something).
Urban Sombrero
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 8:08 p.m.
I agree with Sara Grosky and RonAnnArbor (and, not just because I'm pretty certain I know Sara irl.....) The primary election IS outdated. In fact, I feel that the entire 2 party system is outdated (yet that's a subject for a different discussion.) I felt that I HAD to vote on the Democrat ticket, since I wanted a say in the A2 mayoral race. Yet, as a realist, I think that our next governor will most likely be a Republican and it really chaps my behind that I had absolutely no say as far as their pool of candidates went.
Roadman
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 7:46 p.m.
It appears this could be the biggest landslide victory, based on the earliest returns, that Hieftje has ever had in any serious election, since Marcia Higgins pulled less than 25% of the vote in 2002. It is conceivable Lesko may get less of a percentage than Eric Plourde, the student Libertarian nominee with a zero budget in 2008, who garnered 13% of the vote against Hieftje. Sumi Kailaspathy appears to be making a respectable showing, however.
MjC
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 6:52 p.m.
I voted - and isn't that all that matters? More power to ME!
Soothslayer
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 6:13 p.m.
At 6:30 PM I was only #212 in my precinct, the poll workers looked so forlorn. Go vote to cheer them up! If you are able and don't vote you must be elated with the way Michigan is and we hereby revoke your ability to fuss about it anymore. Wonderful!
Tom Teague
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 5:46 p.m.
Cash - That's a good perspective on aging. But researching the candidates and making a thoughtful decision could cause the whole electoral system to collapse. Seriously, I have lived in two other states that had early voting and it's a wonderful idea. I love the adrenaline rush of going to the polls on a big election day. But my job involves a lot of last-minute travel, and I chose voting during the early voting period over getting disenfranchised by a sudden commitment that took me out of town on election day.
InsideTheHall
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 5:27 p.m.
The system is fine. Primaries are set up so that party members can choose the candidate. People should not need motivation to vote. Just ask anyone from Eastern Europe. People are lazy and take freedom for granted period. You can always get an absentee ballot if you can't get the fanny off the couch.
Cash
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 4:18 p.m.
@Tom Teague, Absentee voting is the one joy of old age! As a senior citizen I can absentee vote. I can sit in my home and even research candidates and issues online if I wish. I get the ballot weeks before the election so I have time to think things out carefully. It doesn't make up for getting old, but it helps. :-)
Jay Allen
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 4:18 p.m.
I really love it when folks ride the fence. a2grateful, you CERTAINLY have a problem in the 5th Ave closure thread. You are tossing everyone on city council under the bus. I took a quick around to see your stance on other items as well. And now, you have the audacity to say: "many so-called issues are really nonissues". The economy says other wise too. Home foreclosures. If you we stay on the path we are on now and keep the same thought process, there is no "change". The path we are on is wrong and until the ship gets turned, we are all still in trouble.
Sara Minh
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 3:01 p.m.
Perhaps there would be more of a turnout if we could vote for the candidates themselves, rather than vote by party.
81wolverine
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 2:50 p.m.
I went to the poll in Lodi Township mid-morning and there was almost no one there other than the election volunteers. Granted most other people were at work, but it was far less than we usually see for a regular election. I agree with others that moving elections to a Saturday would make a lot more sense and get a lot bigger turnout probably. Having elections on Tuesday is one of those ancient traditions the government sticks to for no significant reason.
Tom Teague
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 2:39 p.m.
Michigan is one of only 18 states NOT offering early voting and one of 21 that does not provide for no-excuse absentee voting. http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=16604
Forever27
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 2:32 p.m.
@cash, you're on the right track with changing the set up. I think that voting days should be holidays though. If not all of them, at least the november elections.
Cash
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 2:24 p.m.
Heaven forbid we move out of the frontier era when elections were on Tuesday to give people time to get to the polling place on horseback. If we really wanted a lot of people to vote, wouldn't we change the voting day to Saturday...or voting days - Saturday and Sunday?
a2grateful
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 2:08 p.m.
Light turnout may indicate that many so-called issues are really nonissues... Several polling places that I have seen have been quiet all day... Saw an interesting sign display in one nearby frontyard... a Rebekah sign next to a Byrnes sign... at the same address...