Great turnout for election noted here

A total of 6,629 of the county’s 9,034 registered voters, 73.3 percent, participated in the election, which is one of the largest voter turnouts noted in recent years, according to Jackson County Clerk Kristie Richter.

“I thought it was a great turnout,” Richter said. “I ordered enough paper ballots for 75 percent. It was pretty tight, and I was a little worried, but it worked out.”

This year’s turnout was just short of the 74 percent voter turnout reported during the presidential election in 2008, it was reported. That election also included a proposal for a $21.3 million bond issue for Holton USD 336 voters.

Other recent voter turnouts here during presidential elections include 72 percent in 2020, 71 percent in 2016, 66 percent in 2012, 69 percent in 2004 and 66 percent in 2000.

The polls closed at 7 p.m. on Election Day last week, and Richter said all the ballots cast were tallied by 9:45 p.m. 

“Everything went really well,” she said. 

A total of 170 provisional ballots were cast during the election.

“I think a lot of the provisional ballots were cast by people who weren’t registered and won’t be counted,” Richter said. 

Mailed in ballots had to be postmarked by Election Day, and the last day they would be accepted was Nov. 8, she said. 

Richter said she did not receive any reports of long lines at the polling locations across the county, but poll workers noted to Richter that foot traffic was “steady.”

Of the 6,629 registered voters who voted, 2,375 of them (35.8 percent) cast their vote in advance. During the 2020 election, 1,525 people voted in advance. 

In addition to voting at the clerk’s office during the weekdays at the Courthouse, Richter said that 150 people voted on Saturday, Nov. 2, in the first-floor meeting room between 9 a.m. and noon.

“It was great. We had several people thank us for being there,” she said. “We’re going to keep offering that, and I’m not opposed to expanding those hours on that Saturday if we have the people coming in.”