Bill and Donna Smith of Lake Orion arrived at Lake Orion United Methodist Church ? Precinct 12 ? ready to vote.
‘Enough is enough,? said Donna. ‘We want to see some change ? a different kind of change.?
That same desire seemed to drive voters to the polls in Orion and across the state and parts of the country all day long Tuesday.
Around noon, Precinct 12 co-chair Dennis Marshall said voters were coming through at a rate of about 50 per hour, and keeping his crew of election inspectors feeling busy ? but not hectic.
‘About four o’clock, that’s when the people will really start coming,? he said. ‘That’s how it was here during the primary.?
Based on a color-coded map available on the Oakland County clerks office website, Orion saw its highest voter turnout, somewhere between 60-70 percent, in precincts 6 and 14. Other precincts were showing between 40-60 percent of voters made it out to the polls.
Not unexpectedly, Orion voters ? and those from other North Oakland communities ? handed local Republicans a solid win.
Oakland County Board of Commissioners? incumbent Mike Gingell grabbed the nod from 14,437 voters ? 75.66 percent ? to reclaim the 3rd District seat, while challenging Democrat John Bingham, Jr. took 27.42 percent, or 4,596 votes.
Bradford Jacobsen, Oxford, took a decisive victory in the race to fill Jim Marleau’s shoes as State Representative, 46th District claiming 24,364 votes, or 72.31 percent, in that race, while his opponent, Orion Township Democrat David Jay Lillis, finished the night with 27.42 percent, or 9,240 votes.
Finally, at 3 a.m. Wednesday, with 95 of 123 precincts reporting, Jim Marleau had what appeared to be a comfortable lead over Democrat Cassandra Ulbrich in the race for the State Senate, 12th District, with more than 60 percent of the votes cast in his favor and 28 precincts unreported at that point.