Stephenson County election turnout about 20 percent
By Karen Patterson
The Journal-Standard
Posted Apr. 7, 2015 at 10:25 AM
Updated Apr 7, 2015 at 10:08 PM
FREEPORT — About 20 percent of Stephenson County’s registered voters cast ballots this election, which is below the 23 percent turnout in the March 2014 primary and the 26 percent turnout in the April 2013 municipal elections.
“I was just proud that people got engaged and came out to vote (across Freeport),” said Patrick Busker, who was elected Freeport’s 5th Ward alderman. “We need to get everyone in town engaged, and I was just happy that people were getting out and voicing their opinion.”
Some 6,727 people out of the 33,660 registered voters cast ballots, according to unofficial election results posted Tuesday. Those figures do not include absentee and grace-period votes, which Stephenson County Clerk Vici Otte said would be tallied later this week.
At least two polling locations were seeing light turnout early Tuesday. St. John United Church of Christ at 1010 S. Park Blvd. hosts three different precincts. As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, roughly 100 voters had come to cast ballots. At First Baptist Church, 413 W. Empire St., just 67 citizens had cast ballots by 9:15 a.m.
Election judge Carolyn Lapp was processing ballots after they’d been filled out and was hopeful for increasing turnout throughout the day.
“We have quite a few retirees in these precincts, and many don’t get out of the house real early in the day,” Lapp said.