Election officials said they couldn’t talk about voter turnout, but voters who showed up at lunchtime at Brookfield schools, where four precincts vote, said it appeared more voters had come out than usual.
“It’s a huge turnout,” said Terry Lunder, calling it the biggest turnout she has seen.
“Very important issues on there,” Lunder said of the ballot.
Voters are choosing a new governor and other state offices and federal Congressional seats and numerous county positions, and having their say on a state constitutional question and township referendums concerning zoning and a school levy. It’s an important election, as Gary Chrnko called it.
Chrnko said he had to wait a while, but the line moved pretty quickly.
“I wish everybody would vote,” he said. “It’s your right and your duty.”
One woman hurried out without voting, saying she had an appointment she needed to get to and couldn’t wait. She said she would come back.
David Smoot was surprised that there was a wait at all, calling the turnout decent.
John Barnhart said he is a Democrat and usually “vote(s) along party lines,” but encouraged people of all political persuasions to come out to vote.
“Everybody should express themselves,” he said.
Barnhart said he has heard more political talk in the community, in the run-up to this election, than usual.
“I think, the political climate now, everyone has an opinion,” he said.
Chelsea Simeon said the chatter about zoning “has been pretty heated.”
“It probably won’t pass, but it’s hard to say,” Simeon said.”I’ve seen a lot of ‘no’ signs, but the yes people are probably pretty quiet about it.”
While Simeon called the local issues important, any election is a reason to vote.
“I always vote anyway,” she said.