Clerks in St. Clair, Madison counties expect larger-than-normal voter turnout Tuesday
For the first time in a long time, voters in the Illinois presidential primaries could play a meaningful role in deciding who will be the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees for the Nov. 8 general election.
As a result, early voting totals in St. Clair and Madison counties have been running higher than usual, and the percentages of expected voter turnouts Tuesday is expected to be double that of other years.
More than 6,000 St. Clair County voters have already cast ballots early, said Tom Holbrook, the St. Clair County clerk.
“So it would appear we’re mirroring the rest of the nation, that there’s a lot more interest,” he said. “Because normally at this point all the presidential races have been decided with our later primaries in the primary season. However, since we are in the mix, and we are going to have more say in it, people, rightfully so, have had their interest piqued.”
In Madison County, 1,855 voters have cast absentee ballots by mail, while 7,650 other voters have cast ballots early in person, according to Debbie Mendoza, the Madison County clerk.
Holbrook predicted that 35-40 percent of the 160,000 registered voters in St. Clair County — which excludes East St. Louis, which has its own election board — will cast ballots by the end of Tuesday, or between 56,000 and 64,000 votes cast.
In contrast, in a normal year only about 15-20 percent of voters cast primary election ballots, or between 24,000 and 32,000 votes, Holbrook said.
Mendoza said she hoped to see 30 percent of her county’s 174,000 registered voters cast ballots, or about 52,000.
This number compares to 2014, when only about 21 percent of Madison County voters took part in the election, she said.
What’s making the difference in Madison County this year is the public’s interest in Tuesday’s presidential primary races, Mendoza said.
“With this primary for Democrats, there will be a primary for president,” she said. “And then you know, with all that’s going on (in the GOP) between Cruz, Rubio and Trump, there’s a lot of interest. So I think it’s spurring people to vote.”
How can I find my polling place?
For information on the location of your polling place, or whether you are registered, go to the St. Clair County Clerk’s website at http://www.countyclerk.co.st-clair.il.us/Pages/default.aspx, the East St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners website at http://eslelections.org/, or the Madison County Clerk’s website at www.Madisonvotes.com.
When do the polls open and close?
Polls are scheduled to open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
Mike Fitzgerald: 618-239-2533, @MikeFitz3000
At a glance
Here are the competitive primary races on the ballot:
President
- Republican: Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich
- Democratic: Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders
U.S. Senate
- Republican: Mark Kirk and James Marter
- Democratic: Tammy Duckworth, Napoleon Harris and Andrea Zopp
U.S. House
13th District
- Republican: Rodney Davis and Ethan Vandersand
15th District
- Republican: John Shimkus and Kyle McCarter
State Senator 58th District
- Republican: Paul Schimpf and Sharee Langestein
St. Clair County Board
- District 2 Democratic: Joan McIntosh and Harry Hollingsworth
- District 5 Democratic: Lonnie Mosley and Jacqueline Perkins
- District 6 Democratic: Roy Mosley Jr. and Christine Eastern
- District 14 Democratic: Bob Trentman and Jaynie Wells
- District 15 Republican: Bobby Deadmond Sr. and John West
- District 25 Republican: Ron Gerlach and Jerry Nichols Sr.
- District 26 Democratic: Larry Stammer Jr. and Scott Tieman
Madison County
County Recorder
- Democratic: Amy Meyer and Shannon Bradford
Madison County Board
- District 2 Republican: Roger Alons and Donald Moore
- District 3 Republican: Bill Meyer, Philip Chapman and Rodney Dustmann
- District 6 Republican: Raymond Wesley and David Baker
- District 19 Democratic: Harry Briggs, Michael Charles Parkinson and Donna Davis
Monroe County
State’s attorney
- Republican: Myron A. Hanna and Chris Hitzemann
- Democratic: Dennis M. Fields and Heather Wescoat Dabler
Coroner
- Republican: Bob Hill and Wayne Kohlmeier
County Commissioner
- Republican: Mark Altadonna and Vicki Koerber
Area Referendums
- Freeburg Fire Protection District is asking to issue $3.95 million in bonds for a new fire station.
- Cahokia is asking voters whether to annex the Parkfield Terrace subdivision.
- St. Libory Community Unit School District 30 seeks to make its current property tax rate permanent.
- Voters in the Cottage Hills Fire Protection in Madison County are voting on two referendums, one to increase the maximum property tax rate from .3 percent to .4 percent, and one to levy a special property tax rate of .05 percent for the cost of emergency and rescue crews and equipment.
- Voters in Monroe County are being asked whether to approve a 1-cent sales tax to help pay for infrastructure needs in schools in the county’s three public school districts.
- Randolph County is asking to be allowed to borrow $2.95 million to renovate and repair the county courthouse.
- The city of Carlyle has a sales tax referendum to pay for public infrastructure. If approved the sales tax rate would increase by .5 percent.
This story was originally published March 14, 2016 at 2:55 PM with the headline "Clerks in St. Clair, Madison counties expect larger-than-normal voter turnout Tuesday."