Stew Presnall, Chief Election Officer Photo by Lauryn Overhultz/Gazette Packet
The turnout for this primary election was low, but those who came out to vote all seemed to be thinking the same thing.
Residents who showed up at the Durant Arts Center to vote on Tuesday, June 13, shared the idea that voting is important. Their reasons for why voting is important differed.
The voters believed that they had real choices to choose between which was another reason to be at the polls this week. Each party ballot had choices which gave voters an opportunity to pick someone who they thought was best to lead the state.
Janie Smith represented One Virginia 2021, an effort to stop gerrymandering in the state of Virginia. Smith said this election was important because “we have some real choices here, two extremes on the Republican side and two similar candidates on the Democratic.”
When asked about the voter turnout around 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Stew Presnall, the chief election official, noted that the turnout had been low but that was not abnormal.
He said the turnout compared to previous years was “about the same. We didn’t have the morning rush but we probably will certainly end up with votes.”
The vote count as of 11 a.m. Tuesday was 300 Democrat votes and 71 Republican votes. Presnall speculated this shift might have been because of the results of the general election.
“People have switched parties and it’s indicating that they’re coming out to try to make a change,” Presnall said. “I have had some people actually make a comment. When I ask them what ballot they want and they say Democrat, they say I’ve never said that before.”
David Waterman, who voted this morning in the primary, said that voting is “critical, especially in primaries because these elections are often times the ballgame and people don’t realize that until November when it’s too late.”
Waterman is not the only one who believes that voting in the primary is the most important vote one can take part in.
Wonell Wesley, citing the general election, talked about how the primary is an important time to come together.
“I just think that we need to come together. You’ve seen what is going on with the President, so that’s my main goal,” Wesley said.
Some who cast a ballot just believed that voting is their civic duty.
When asked about their motivations to come out and vote Ginger and Bill Arnold said, “Well we always vote. It’s our right.”