English sophomore Haywood Wadsworth, right, and psychology senior Brett Teslaa, left, vote Tuesday afternoon at the precinct 15 polling location in West Wilson Hall. This election will decide the new governor of the Michigan.
As of 6:19 P.M., a total of 9,052 people have cast their votes in East Lansing, according to East Lansing City Clerk Nicole Evans. About 980 people voted in on-campus precincts.
“Totals are following past trends of (the) 2002 and 2006 elections,” Evans said. “It’s pretty typical we have about 42 to 45 percent (at end of day). With about three hours left with the election day, it’ll probably turn out to be about average.”
Janice Lawson, chairwoman of Precinct 8, said the polls were very busy compared to the primary election. Lawson oversaw operations at the Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road.
“This site is busier than last year’s (election),” she said. “The only election I’ve seen busier than this was the (2008) presidential election.”
Here’s what some East Lansing residents and MSU students said about their voting experiences:
- Finance senior Chris Williamson isn’t from Michigan, but registered to vote in the state a couple of months ago.
“I decided to come out and support the Republican parties,” Williamson said after he voted Tuesday at The Peoples Church, 200 W. Grand River Ave. “I like Rick Snyder’s plan and the fact that he’s a businessman and not a career politician.”
- Tuesday was Lyman Briggs freshman Charystaline Decker’s first time voting.
“I was kind of nervous but I felt good about it afterward,” Decker said. “I figure everyone needs to voice their opinions to the government. I feel like some people vote for the wrong reasons, like the economy. I feel like we should be voting for the well-being of others.”
- After she voted at the Bailey Community Center, 300 Bailey St., East Lansing resident Colleen Howard said she voted because it was her “civic duty.”
“Being that (voting for) governor is a pretty big deal, I definitely had to come out,” Howard said.
- East Lansing resident Kate Cesario brought her two children to the polls at the Bailey Community Center because she wanted to show them how the voting process worked.
“Compared to when I used to live in New York, the lines here are so much shorter so it’s so easy to come and vote,” she said. “There’s no excuse not to.”
- East Lansing resident Elizabeth Quilliam voted Tuesday at the Hannah Community Center. She said she had been looking forward to voting.
“I would like to see logic and clarity back into the government and emotion out,” Quilliam said.
Keep checking statenews.com for updates on this story.
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