Poll workers blaming heat for particularly low voter turnout

Jim Seaver, Lawrence, places his vote on Tuesday morning at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont. By 9:30 a.m., only 19 voters had turned out to vote at the second precinct.

Polling place workers are theorizing that the heat may be to blame for keeping voter turnout even lower than was expected.

At Free State High School at 1 p.m., the site was on pace to have only 10 percent turnout by the end of the day.

At the Free Methodist Church on 31st Street, only 78 people had voted by 2:15 p.m.

Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew said turnout was “really low” in the eastern part of the city, and low to moderate in the western areas. Voters in western Lawrence are voting in the Jim Ryun-Lynn Jenkins race, which was expected to draw better than average turnout.

About 3:30, Shew said he expected turnout to remain low in the eastern parts of Lawrence and Douglas County, but to end up moderate in western areas.

Turnout has been light at all polling sites in Lawrence all day.

As of 9:30 a.m., only 19 people had voted at the Lawrence Public Library. And about 9 a.m., only 31 people had voted at Presbyterian Manor.

By 11 a.m. Pinckney Elementary School, 810 W. 6th St., also had hosted fewer than 30 voters.

“Usually this is a pretty voter-friendly district,” said Stacey Van Houten after receiving a sticker at the school. “Vote early, vote often; that’s my motto.”

Voter Mark Stotler, however, found the bright side of low turnout.

“No [problems] other than trying to figure out whether to have the ballot right side up or upside down in the machine,” he said.

As of noon, West Junior High School at noon had received approximately 30 votes.

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