Big turnout: Nationally and locally, it appears to be a year of highly motivated voters

Judging by the first day numbers of early voting, Wayne County residents can expect to see a near-record turnout for the March 15 primary.

More than 1,200 people voted the first day the polls were open, and election officials said they expect the trend to continue.

With interest in the presidential primary at a high level and several local races of interest, turnout could approach 50 percent.

At the top of the ballot are the presidential primaries, with Republicans Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich squaring off, along with Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

At the local level, the most interest seems to be in the race for superior court judge, where incumbent Arnold Jones faces strong challenges from former judge Jerry Braswell and attorney Will Bland.

This seems like an election in which people will cast ballots against candidates as much as for them, but no matter, it is exercising your right to vote that counts.

Published in Editorials on March 6, 2016 12:43 AM