[JHeath]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=36903.03

5/7/2008 12:46:00 AM
Voter Turnout Stands At 44 Percent

Jason Miller
The News-Dispatch

LA PORTE - County officials were impressed Tuesday night with the unusually high primary voter turnout in La Porte County, attributing those numbers to the fact that for the first time in 40 years, Indiana's vote counted in a presidential primary.

"I said early in the day I thought we'd be around 43 percent," La Porte County Clerk Bette Conroy said Tuesday. "Turnout is always higher in a presidential election, but this year it means something.

"I'm not surprised."

With 60 of 74 precincts reporting, 22,411 of the county's 77,524 registered voters cast ballots. When all precincts reported by around 11 p.m., that number rose to 31,059.

A 44 percent voter turnout in a La Porte County primary is unusual, especially in a primary, Conroy said.

"It's great to see that many people vote," Conroy said. "I always say if you don't vote, then you don't have any right to complain."

Jeana Blake, head of voter registration for La Porte County, said Tuesday registration numbers rose from 75,010 in January.

Of the 31,059 votes cast in the primary in La Porte County, 3,064 were absentee. Conroy said Tuesday afternoon the county registered 3,300 absentee ballot applications. Of those, 346 were ballots cast between Monday and Tuesday.

"All the absentee ballots are all on their way to the polling places, and everything is looking good," Conroy said early Tuesday afternoon. "We were happy to see that went smoothly."

Attorney Michael Bergerson, the unopposed Superior Court 1 Democratic candidate, said early Tuesday night he was impressed with turnout.

"The numbers are good," he said as he looked over early returns with Circuit Court Judge Tom Alevizos and La Porte County Democratic Party head Dr. Vidya Kora.

Contact Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com.

[Southsider2k12]

That is about double what the last election was, right? Good to hear. It was definately a lot more busy than before.