Voter turnout low due to small ballot, lack of students in East Lansing for summer

Only about 15.4 percent of registered voters in Ingham County came out to vote in the Michigan Primary Tuesday.

Pollsters say voter turnout was relatively low as was expected for a primary election. The lack of students on the MSU campus and a mostly uncontested ballot may have been contributing to the lack of participation.

Psychology junior Lauren Schuld said that she didn’t vote because she didn’t realize the primary was happening.

She said she wished there had been more efforts to make local citizens aware.

“Especially (for) students who do not necessarily read the newspaper on a daily basis, but would still like to know,” Schuld said.

Cathy Scott, chairwoman of Precinct 12, which had a polling location at All Saints Episcopal Church, 800 Abbot Road, said voter turnout by about 7:30 p.m. had been “pathetic.” Just half an hour before the polls closed, only 22 people had voted in that precinct.

She attributed the low turnout to the high number of students living in the precinct.

Bill Rittenberg, chair of Precinct 13 with a polling location at MSU’s Owen Graduate Hall, said only one person showed up all day.

“We’re at Owen Hall and most of the voters in this precinct are away from campus,” he said.

Despite the low turnout, several MSU students in the area said they took time to vote to have their voices heard.

Emily Serkaian, a social relations and policy sophomore, said she voted on campus she said she feels one voice can make a difference.

“I think it’s important to stay politically active, because it’s my life and my chance to have my voice heard,” Serkaian said. “Voting in East Lansing for students is especially important because that’s where we live most of the year, and we have the chance to make governmental decisions here.”

East Lansing resident Doug Austin said voting is a fundamental right and responsibility of residents and all should take part.

“It’s an important election, there are some local county proposals as well as primary election for other important offices, I just believe in voting,” he said.

Heather Frarey, owner of The Record Lounge, 210 Abbot Road, suite 18, planned to vote late on Tuesday in DeWitt, close to her home.

Varying reasons could lead to why few people voted today, Frarey said.

“It might be indifference, might be laziness,” she said.

For some residents, timing and convenience stopped them from reaching the polls.

Julie Ryntz, director of Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, 333 Albert Ave., did not participate in the primary because several people at the business are on vacation and it is difficult to get away from the office, she said.

“One of the issues is that because of the way things are here, it’s been so busy, we’re running short on staff,” Ryntz said. “It’s hard to even catch up on what the issues are and what our stances are on issues.”

Doug Nordhaus, chair of Precinct 10, which has a polling location at Edgewood United Church, 469 N. Hagadorn Road, said about 8 percent of that precinct’s registered voters had voted, or 99 of about 1,400.

“(Turnout is) usually a little bit higher than that,” he said. “(But) it’s vacation time, people have vacation, go to law trips, trips to Europe or have conventions, some of them have cottages up north, something like that.”

The low voter turnout did not surprise many polling volunteers

“We’ve had over 200 walk-ins and 116 absentee ballots. Not a high election though, but better than it was (earlier),” said Susan Richardson, chair at Precinct 3 at East Lansing Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road, at about 7:30 p.m. “(We were expecting) about what we’re getting, if you want to see a high one come in November.”

Richardson said there would have been a better turnout and more excitement among voters had there been more competition on the ballot.

Danny Gallagher, a telecommunication, information studies and media sophomore, voted for the first time Tuesday afternoon even though he said there were not many issues he felt strongly about.

“I just feel inclined to take part and let my opinion be heard,” Gallagher said. “There are a lot of issues that were being decided on, and I wanted to have my say.”

Staff writers Katie Koerner, Heather Lockwood, Joseph Terry and Nich Wolak contributed to this report.