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Photo by Brian Cox
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Collen Lopez (right) places an "I Voted" sticker on her 18-year-old daughter Amanda Lopez's jacket while Amanda's grandmother, Barbara, and brother, Kyle, look on. It was the teen's first time voting.
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As went Milan, so went Washtenaw County and so went the state in Tuesday's Republican primary.
Milan voters favored former Massachusetts governor and the son of a former Michigan governor, Mitt Romney, over Arizona Sen. John McCain by a margin of 33 to 27 percent.
About 23 percent of Milan's registered voters showed up at the polls, mirroring turnout across the state.
Of the 877 voters who steadily streamed into Milan City Hall throughout the day, 532 voted in the Republican primary, while only 345 cast votes in the Democratic primary, which had on its ballot only Sen. Hillary Clinton and Dennis Kucinich.
The other Democratic candidates, including Sen. Barrack Obama and Sen. John Edwards, withdrew their names from the ballot after Michigan moved its primary date up in violation of the national party's rules.
"I thought it was kind of silly," said Lynn Greer after voting in the Democratic primary. "If a state wants to move the primary up, what does it matter?"
Romney garnered 175 of the 532 Republican ballots cast to McCain's 142.
Coming in a distant third, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee pulled 119 votes or 22 percent.
One of Huckabee's supporters was 18-year-old Amanda Lopez, a senior at Milan High School voting for the first time.
"It was exciting," said Lopez, who went to the polls with her mother Colleen, grandmother, Barbara, and brother, Kyle.
"We talk about politics a lot at home," said Colleen Lopez as she positioned an "I Voted" sticker on her daughter's jacket. "We stand pretty firm in our beliefs."
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giulliani pulled 19 votes; Ron Paul received 42 votes; Fred Thompson 23 and Duncan Hunter one.
Of the Democratic votes cast, 160 were for Clinton; 11 for Kucinich; and one for Mike Gravel. Seventy-nine votes were uncommitted and there were 39 write-ins. The write-ins were discounted.
With no other issues on the ballot, the turnout surprised former city deputy clerk Candy Hines, who was overseeing the voting in Precinct 1.
"It's been going good," Hines said shortly after 4 p.m. "There's been more of a turnout than I expected. It's been a steady stream all day long."
Hines said voters appeared well informed of the voting procedure and had few questions about the ballot.
Staff Writer Brian Cox can be reached at 429-7380 or bcox@heritage.com.
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