Voters head to the polls to narrow down the pool of candidates
1:43 p.m. Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Today, Republican and Democratic candidates will solidify their nomination for a myriad of offices, from U.S. Senator to county commissioner.
Shawnee County Election Commissioner says the voters have been trickling into polling places. As of 9:45 a.m., 6.9 of the voters had voted, Shawnee County Election Commissioner Elizabeth Ensley said.
Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh predicts voter turnout in Tuesday's primary elections will be the second lowest since 1990. He said the prediction is based on the lack of contested primaries on the ballot throughout the state and no statewide race with a close primary. He said 48 contested primaries will be on the ballot Tuesday, compared with 84 in 2004.
Thornburgh said he expects 319,000 ballots to be cast, or about 19 percent of the registered voters. The lowest turnout was in 2006, when fewer than 299,000 people voted, about 18 percent of registered voters.
Ensley says early numbers today indicated Shawnee County would have a similar turnout as the year 2000, when 30 percent of the voters headed to the polls.
"Our average in Shawnee County is 37 percent voter turnout," she said referring to primary election turnout.
She said poll workers expected a rush over the lunch hour and after work. People who don't get off work until 5 p.m. will still have time to vote. The polls are open until 7 p.m.
Voters of all ages used the traditional and electronic voting systems.
One dad brought his son to vote, showing him early the importance of voting.
If you haven't voted because you don't know where to vote, tap into this story to find out the easy way to find your polling place in Shawnee County.
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)