Voter Turnout 'Steady' for Off-year Election

Most of the polling places in Manassas are reporting a steady voter turnout, especially for an off election year.

"It has certainly been steady; not heavy, but steady," said Manassas Republican Committee Operation Chair Sharon Ashurst. 

The Jennie Dean Elementary School precinct reported 250 voters by 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. And by 11 a.m., Baldwin Elementary and Weems Elementary locations had tallied at least 300.

The turnout is good considering it is an off election year.

Baldwin Elementary poll workers said it might be the largest [or second largest] turnout the location has seen in an off election year.

"It's been busy," said Bob Colgan, who was passing out vote recommendations literature at the Baldwin Elementary School polling locations for his brother Sen. Chuck Colgan, Sr. (D-29), who is running for reelection in the state senate against Republican Tom Gordy.

Chief Precinct Officer at Baldwin, Ethel Fletcher said everything was going "very smoothly." She said it would not be unreasonable for the location to see 600 or 700 voters by the end of the day.

But over at the Metz Middle School polling location, a voter and Manassas resident for almost 30 years was disappointed to learn he was around number 150 to vote, just shy of 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

I was expecting it to be more, he said.

The polls opened at 6 a.m. and will remain will open until 7 p.m. Tuesday. There are five precinct locations in Manassas:

• Dean Elementary School, located at 9601 Prince William Street

• Weems Elementary School, located at 8750 Weems Road

• Metz Junior High School, located at 9950 Wellington Road

• Haydon Elementary School, located at 9075 Park Avenue

• Baldwin Elementary School, located at 9705 Main Street