Monroe County turnout as expected

The voter turn-out in yesterday's election was about what was expected, all factors considered. \n29.85 percent of the 91,870 registered voters came out to the polls. \n"That is higher than a midterm general election, which would pull about 22-25 percent," said Monroe County Recorder Jim Fielder. "The candidates did a great job of raising issues and getting voters out."\nBy 3 p.m., officials for Precinct 32, at Assembly Hall, had seen about 40 people come through. They expected another dozen or so before the polls closed at 6 p.m. The voters were a mixture of college students and adults.\n"One man voted for the first time today," election official Carol Brown said. "We praised him."\nAbout a dozen students who showed up were registered in a different precinct. Officials used cell phones to help the students get where they were supposed to be.\n"Our biggest problem today was that there's no phone in this lobby," Brown said. "Thank God for cell phones."\nOverall, the officials were pleased with the turnout, claiming that it was average for a general election year.\nFactors out of anyone's control may have deterred some voters, including weather conditions and location.\n"Several people remarked that it was hard to find," said Ken Rogers, who worked at the Richland 3 Precinct. "I don't know if anybody didn't vote today because of that."\nPrecinct 9, set up in Read Center, had similar results at 3:30 p.m. Officials estimated over 40 voters had dropped in, of which most were college students. \n"On a presidential election year we get 100-200, and on general election years we get about half of that," election official Mike Porter said. "General elections don't affect college students as much."\nOfficials cited other theories of decreased voter turnout including the rain, negative advertising by politicians on television, and a negative image of politicians created by links to the criminal practices of large corporations like Enron.\nJunior Kristen Blake voted for the first time today.\n"It's important for everyone to voice their opinion," she said. "It's easy to vote, and there's really no reason not to."\nMany of Kristen's friends, however, didn't vote. She said the reason is because they simply don't care.\n"How would our government be if no one cared enough to vote?" Blake said. "I don't want that to happen."\nAssistant Region editor Kristin Wynkoop contributed to this story.