Clinton-Trump race to boost voter turnout, officials say

Forget the statewide races in Missouri. The same goes for the constitutional amendments that will be on the Nov. 8 election ballot.

It is the hotly contested presidential race that will drive people to the polls in Missouri, area election officials said.

County clerks in Cape Girardeau, Perry, Scott and Bollinger counties are projecting more voters will go to the polls next week than they did in the 2012 presidential election.

Voter turnout is projected to be heavy, as thousands of voters already have cast ballots in the four counties, according to the clerks.

Scott County Clerk Rita Milam predicted as many as 75 percent of registered voters in her county will cast ballots. That would be up from 2012 when 68 percent of Scott County voters went to the polls, according to the Missouri Secretary of State's office.

Milam said it's all about the presidential race between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump.

"People are more into the presidential thing," she said.

Statewide ballot issues typically don't affect turnout, she said.

"Amendments are confusing," she said, adding many voters simply don't vote on such measures.

More than 700 Scott County voters had cast absentee ballots as of earlier this week, Milam said.

"I think we will hit 1,000 absentee ballots cast," she said.

In Cape Girardeau County, more than 2,000 voters have cast absentee ballots, county clerk Kara Clark Summers said.

"We have over 53,000 registered voters. We have really seen an increase in registration this year," she said. "We have had more registrations this year than in 2012."

Summers said she expects 70 percent to 72 percent of Cape Girardeau County voters will cast ballots in this election, which would be higher than the 67 percent four years ago.

Bollinger County Clerk Brittany Hovis estimated voter turnout will be about 75 percent in her county, a more than 10 percent jump over the 63 percent turnout in 2012.

More than 300 absentee ballots already have been cast in Bollinger County. In 2012, about 400 absentee ballots were cast, she said.

Like her fellow county clerks, Hovis said turnout is being driven by the presidential race.

Hovis said only bad weather on Election Day would keep down voter turnout.

Perry County Clerk Jared Kutz said voter turnout in his county could total 69 or 70 percent, which would be higher than the 64 percent turnout four years ago.

About 500 voters already have cast absentee ballots and Kutz said he expects 700 absentee ballots will be cast in this election. In 2012, 692 absentee ballots were cast in Perry County in the presidential election.

Kutz said he has seen more first-time voters cast absentee ballots than in past years. Many cast their absentee ballots in person at the courthouse rather than mail in the ballots, he said.

The presidential race is driving the turnout, he said.

The contest between Clinton and Trump has drawn the public's attention like no previous presidential race, Kutz said.

"I do think it is different than anybody has ever seen," he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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