County Election Director Calls Voter Turnout 'Disappointingly Low'

The official results for voter turnout after won't be posted until later, but the writing is on the wall.

Anne Arundel County Election Director Joseph Torre called the voter turnout "disappointingly low," estimating about 20 percent of registered voters turned up at the polls Tuesday. 

There were 189 precincts across the county ready to accept voters. Torre said the goal is one precinct for every 3,000 voters. The idea behind having so many precincts is to ensure there are no long lines or parking issues, he said.

“We’ve encountered those problems in the past and try to work around them,” Torre said. “So, we try to keep our precincts at a manageable size.”

At each precinct, there are several election workers and two chief judges. They’re staffed to handle a huge turnout, but it didn’t happen Tuesday.

“We have to be prepared for 100 percent turnout,” Torre said. “But I think at any given time yesterday, the judges outnumbered the voters by about four to one.”

There were , including three on Church Road, which is less than a mile long.

, an elderly couple well known in Arnold, retired in a home adjacent to —the church where they were married. The church is also a polling location, but their voting precinct was at the , about a half mile away. 

Jack Hogsten took his wife out for a stroll in her wheelchair down the length of Church Road. He said it wasn't a problem, but it didn't make much sense. The Hogstens' daughter lives across the street from them, and her precinct was the church in their backyard.

"It wasn't really an inconvenience. It was just a little strange," Hogsten said. "We walk almost daily to the Senior Center. It's just two blocks away, so what the heck."

The Hogstens’ precinct played musical chairs. Before this year, it had always been at their church. This year, it changed as a result of . That can create inconsistencies for some, Torre said.

“After redistricting, we have to scrub all of our maps and follow their descriptions,” Torre said. “It didn’t affect some people. But some districts saw a wholesale change.”

Torre is already beginning work on hiring the next round of judges and poll workers for the Nov. 6 election. He said he expects a much bigger turnout in November because of the controversial items expected on the ballot. Among the items are the Dream Act referendum and potentially a referendum on same-sex marriage.

“Those are going to bring people out of the woodwork, I think,” Torre said.

Anyone interested in becoming a poll worker can call 410-222-6601, ext. 3139, for more information. Election workers make between $150-$200 for Election Day work, and $25 for training.