Voters in portions of Washtenaw County went to the polls Tuesday to decide a few bond issues, millage questions, and city council races. Voter turnout was higher than expected. Washtenaw County elections director Ed Golembiewski checked in with WEMU's David Fair to discuss the results and what was learned heading into a presidential year election cycle in 2020.
Based on where elections were taking place, more than 161-thousand registered voters were eligible to fill out ballots in Washtenaw County on Election Day. In all, more than 34-thousand ballots were cast. That's a turnout of better than 21%.
Ed Golembiewski is Director of Elections in Washtenaw County. Prior to the election, he had projected a turnout of closer to 17%. The one-billion-dollar bond issue passed by voters in the Ann Arbor school district is a primary reason for higher turnout where more than 24-thousand votes were counted. Golembiewski says about one-third of all votes cast in the county were done via absentee ballot.
Golembiewski says he expects the 2020 election cycle will inspire high voter turnout with a presidential race, federal and state offices to be decided, and, of course, local candidate races and ballot issues. He says the county will need more poll and precinct workers, and those are paid positions. Interested parties should contact:
Washtenaw County Clerk – Elections Division
200 North Main St.
Ann Arbor 48104
Phone: 734-222-6730
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— David Fair is the WEMU News Director and host of Morning Edition on WEMU. You can contact David at734.487.3363, on twitter @DavidFairWEMU, or email him at dfair@emich.edu
