Early voter turnout in Alpena follows statewide average | News, sports, jobs

News photo by Steve Schulwitz Alpena secretary Anna Soik organizes a makeshift voting booth where people can vote absentee. So far, absentee and in-person early voting totals in Alpena County, Alpena and Montmorency County are below the state’s turnout average. The numbers are expected to rise today, when many people will vote on Election Day.

ALPENA – The number of voters who used absentee voting and in-person early voting in Alpena and Alpena County is below the state average, the latest data from the Michigan Department of State shows.

Only 39.5% of voters voted before Election Day, which is below the national average of 43.9%.

Montmorency County also lagged behind the average, achieving a turnout of 38.4%.

Presque Isle and Alcona counties matched or exceeded the state’s average turnout rate, which consists of people who voted absentee and voted early in person.

The final turnout percentage, which adds the turnout on election day, will be calculated after today’s elections.

Despite being below the national average, there are still expected to be long lines at the poles in all four provinces today as people cast their votes for who they want to become president.

And despite the failure of in-person early and absentee voting, local clerks said clerks were busy and poll workers were busy.

In all four counties in Northeast Michigan, a large percentage of absentee ballots sent to voters were returned.

In total, Alpena County municipalities sent out 5,913, and as of Monday morning, 5,375 were returned. This equates to a return of more than 90%. State statistics show a high percentage of voters who received absentee ballots and returned them in neighboring counties.

Voting on Election Day is a tradition in rural areas of the state, but there are signs that more people are choosing to save their votes early by voting absentee or voting early in person.

Early voting in Northeast Michigan was slow when it started, but picked up steam ahead of the presidential election.

Alpena, which partnered with the township to share the resources and costs of early voting, had only 75 people vote in person during early voting for the August primary, while Alpena Township had 119 voters vote.

These totals are comparable to those from February’s presidential election, the first time early voting was introduced. During the presidential primary, which involved few other political races or ballot propositions, Alpena had 116 early voters, while the municipality had 117.

However, during this election cycle, the state and all counties in Northeast Michigan saw a large increase in the number of people choosing to vote early and in person.

In Alpena County, 3,241 people voted early at the polls. There were 886 voters from Alpena alone who cast their ballots early.

The number of early voters in Presque Isle was also impressive, with 2,459 people tabulating their ballots. Alcona County had 1,400 early voters and Montmorency County had 1,169.

Alpena Secretary Anna Soik said she thought more voters would take advantage of early voting for the presidential election, but she didn’t expect to see such a big jump in participation.

“We didn’t expect it all and I think it surprised everyone at the local and state level,” she said. “It just blew up. It was a surprise, but a good surprise.”

Early in-person voting has concluded, but people who still have absentee ballots can return them until 8 p.m. tonight.

The polls are open today from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or [email protected]. Follow him at X @ss_alpenanews.com.

ABSENT VOTES SENT

Michigan — 2,329,387

Alpena County – 5,913

Alpena – 1,990

Presque Isle County – 2,868

Alcona County – 2,312

Montmorency County – 2,214

ABSENT VOTES RETURNED

Michigan — 1,981,594

Alpena County – 5,375

Alpena- 1,786

Presque Isle County – 2,574

Alcona County – 1,861

Montmorency County – 1,946

PERSONAL EARLY VOTING

Michigan — 1,214,444

Alpena County – 3,241

Alpena-883

Presque Isle County – 2,459

Alcona County – 1,400

Montmorency County – 1,169

ABSENCE/EARLY VOTING TURNOVER

Michigan — 43.9%

Alpena County – 39.5%

Alpena — 36.3%

Presque Isle – 46.2%

Alcona County – 43.9%

Montmorency County – 38.4%

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