Despite glum weather and crowded polling stations, local voter turnout was significantly stronger than in the midterm election of 2002. Albemarle saw 59 percent voter turnout, up 14 percent, while Charlottesville had a respectable 50 percent turnout, up 11 percent.
Nationwide, voter turnout for a midterm election hit its highest mark since 1982, with 40.4 percent turnout, and set a record here in Virginia, where statewide 43.7 percent of registered voters cast a ballot, according to the nonpartisan Center for the Study of the American Electorate at American University.
“Certainly that energy that was seen nationwide was seen here in Albemarle as well,” says Lee Catlin, County spokesperson. City spokesman Ric Barrack says he was pleased, but that City officials had hoped that turnout would be closer to 55 percent.
Despite some Associated Press reports of malicious calls (threatening some voters they could go to jail if they voted) and negative leafleting designed to discourage voters elsewhere in the state, neither County nor City had reports of such problems.
“We only had good news problems,” says Catlin, such as parking and traffic. Barrack echoed similar sentiments.
Sheri Iachetta, general registrar for the City, says of the election: “We were just as pleased as we could be.” The only other issue she found, beyond the long lines, was that some precincts got a slightly later start because vendors bringing the newly tested electronic poll books got lost. The poll books on the whole saved time, however, as it allowed on-site poll workers to find the proper precinct for confused voters. “The election officials loved it,” Iachetta says.
The official vote has been sent to the State, which will certify the results November 28.
Recent Registration and Turnout
Locality Registered Total Voters Turnout
2002 Albemarle 54,128 24,518 45%
Charlottesville 22,104 8,700 39%
2004 Albemarle 58,479 43,884 75%
Charlottesville 23,373 15,634 67%
2006 Albemarle 60,934 36,063 59%
Charlottesville 23,564 11,849 50%
2006 Election Results
House of Rep.
Charlottesville Albemarle
Candidate Votes Percentage Votes Percentage
Al Weed (D) 8,824 74.6% 19,560 54.4%
Virgil Goode (R) 2,880 24.4% 16,106 44.7%
Joseph Otto (I) 102 0.9% 318 0.9%
Write Ins 21 0.2% 28 0.1%
Senate
Jim Webb (D) 9,159 77.3% 20,821 57.5%
George Allen (R) 2,575 21.7% 15,048 41.6%
Gail Parker (I) 99 0.8% 293 0.8%
Write Ins 19 0.2% 36 0.1%
Marriage Amendment
No 8,949 77.0% 20,979 58.6%
Yes 2,670 23.0% 14,796 41.4%
Sources: Virginia State Board of Elections; City and County Departments of Voter Registration and Elections
