Flint, MI– Election day was off to a slow start in Flint this morning.
The polls have been open since 7 a.m. the morning of Aug. 3, welcoming residents to vote in the city council primary election for their ward. All but three wards–the first, fifth, and ninth– have primary elections.
By 10:30 a.m, 20 residents had come to vote in precincts 15, 17, and 18, at Berston Field House, which was a location for residents in the third ward.
Poll worker Jennie Scott said there isn’t usually a big turnout for the council elections.
Claudette Brandon, who typically works in a different precinct, said she felt like the main reason for that was a lack of advertisement.
“They didn’t advertise it. They’ve got to do better if they want to get people out there,” Brandon said. “I have a friend who lives off of Atherton Road and didn’t know about any candidates in her ward.”
Brandon woke up at 4 a.m. to get to the polls by 5:30 a.m. before they opened. She brought veggie straw chips and cake to snack on throughout what will be a long day with polls closing at 8 p.m.
Berston Field House was also a location for residents of precinct 13, which is in the second ward. The poll workers for precinct 13 said they hadn’t had any voters yet, and that some of the residents who came in trying to vote were not at their correct precinct.
By noon, there were six voters at the Mott Community College Event Center for precincts 24 and 27, which are located in the fourth ward.
On the opposite side of the event center, there was a line of about five residents gearing up to vote in precincts 46 and 47, which are located in the seventh ward.
The West Court Street Church of God had 15 voters a little after noon. This location served residents in precincts 44 and 52, which are part of the sixth and eighth wards.
Poll worker DeWinter Holloway said this would be considered a “slow day” compared to other elections she’s worked at, but that she believed there were a lot of people who voted with their absentee ballots.
“I think a lot of older people prefer to vote absentee,” Holloway said.
There are six absentee ballot drop box locations throughout the city. If you have an absentee ballot, you have until 6:30 p.m. to drop your ballot off at one of these locations:
• In front of Flint City Hall
• Between the Police and Fire Departments at City Hall
• Fire Station 3, 1525 Martin Luther King Ave
• Fire Station 5, 3402 Western Road
• Fire Station 6, 716 W. Pierson Road
• Fire Station 8, 202 E. Atherton Road
Vote vote vote local
State & federal
LOCAL IS IMPORTANT