Edgar County sees massive voter turnout during 2024 election

PARIS – According to Edgar County Clerk and Recorder August Griffin, Tuesday, Nov. 5 was an Election Day unlike any he’s seen previously in his 14 years of service. Voters arrived in droves at each of Edgar County’s 10 polling locations.

Local residents also appeared at the Edgar County Courthouse to hit the polls early at a record rate.

“This was the busiest election that I've ever had … Early voting was off the charts,” Griffin explained during a Wednesday, Nov. 6 Edgar County Board meeting. 

Between 3,200 and 3,300 people submitted a ballot early – a sizeable portion of the county’s registered voters.

“Before Election Day, we were sitting at a 25 percent turnout county-wide,” Griffin said.

In total, 7,975 ballots were cast in the county, accounting for 67.5 percent of the 11,813 registered voters. The turnout is the largest Edgar County has seen since 1984.

Sizeable crowds led to some delays during high-traffic periods.

“The polling places were just busy all day long. So, you know, it took time,” Griffin remarked. “I appreciate everybody's patience going through the lines.”

Edgar County voters only had one contested race on the ballot: a heated showdown between former President Donald Trump, representing the Republican Party, and sitting Vice President Kamala Harris, representing the Democratic Party. Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance took the majority of the votes in Edgar County, a historically red area. Unofficial returns from Edgar County indicate Trump received 5,944 votes (75.34 percent of participants), while Harris and her running mate Tim Walz earned 1,813 votes (22.98 percent). Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, pulled in 133 votes (1.69 percent), despite Kennedy announcing the suspension of his campaign Friday, Aug. 23, shortly before endorsing Trump.

The Trump/Vance ticket also claimed victory on the national stage according to initial returns, winning both the popular and electoral votes (72,793,239 votes, 295 electoral votes, respectively).

Congresswoman Mary Miller, R-Ill., retained her seat in the 15th District, running unopposed. State Representative Adam Neimerg, R-Ill, also had an uncontested route back to his seat in the 102nd District.

In Edgar County, incumbents Philip Dobelstein (R, State’s Attorney), Angela R. Barrett (R, Circuit Clerk), Scott Barrett (R, Coroner), Lisa Ellis (R, County Board, 1st District), Phil Ludington (R, County Board, 6th District) and Russ Lawton (R, County Board, 7th District) all won uncontested races for their respective offices.

Ballots in Edgar County also included three statewide advisory questions, labeled as referendums. The outcomes of the advisory questions carry no legal weight, instead providing data for state lawmakers to utilize when shaping future legislation.

Referendums and responses in Edgar County included:

• Assisted Reproductive Health Referendum – “Should all medically appropriate assisted reproductive treatments, including, but not limited to, in vitro fertilization, be covered by any health insurance plan in Illinois that provides coverage for pregnancy benefits, without limitation on the number of treatments?”

• • YES – 4,783 votes (63.6 percent)
  • NO – 2,738 votes (36.4 percent)

• Election Worker Protection and Candidate Accountability Referendum – “Should any candidate appearing on the Illinois ballot for federal, State or local office be subject to civil penalties if the candidate interferes or attempts to interfere with an election worker’s official duties?”
  • YES – 6,594 votes (87.26 percent)
  • NO – 963 votes (12.74 percent)
• Property Tax Relief and Fairness Referendum – “Should the Illinois Constitution be amended to create an additional three percent tax on income greater than $1,000,000 for the purpose of dedicating funds raised to property tax relief?”
  • YES – 3,983 votes (52.56 percent)
  • NO – 3,595 votes (47.44 percent)

Finally, voters in Kansas, Ill. shot down a proposition that would have prohibited the retail sale of alcohol in the village. In total, 224 voters (75.17 percent) opposed the proposal, while 74 (24.83 percent) voted in favor of the measure.

Official results for all races are anticipated to be available by Nov. 26.