County exceeds 10 percent prediction – slightly
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, June 6, 2007
With no faces on the ballot, experts predicted a light turnout for Tuesday's election – 10 percent the likely number – but Butler County voters surpassed that mark.
1,642 votes were cast on Tuesday, according to Butler County Probate Judge Steve Norman. The county has 13,400 registered voters.
Still, most poll workers were faced with long periods of inactivity.
At the New Armory in Greenville – one of the more voter heavy precincts in the Camellia City – a total of 130 votes had been cast as of 2 p.m.
Consider that the same building saw numbers over 500 in last year's June primary.
“Jam packed,” said poll worker and city councilman Jeddo Bell, laughing after he was asked how voter turnout had been up to that point.
Poll workers read magazines and newspapers throughout the day, anything to beat the boredome.
“I was the last one to vote,” said worker Lori Milton, pointing to her name at the end of sign-in sheet. Milton was working the desk for voters with last names starting with M through R.
“I finally got tired of waiting for anyone and went ahead and voted myself,” she added.