Motorists make their way through downtown Janesville on Tuesday afternoon as a spring snowstorm descends. Tuesday began with heavy rain that later turned to snow. More snow is in the forecast for today and Thursday.
Motorists make their way through downtown Janesville on Tuesday afternoon as a spring snowstorm descends. Tuesday began with heavy rain that later turned to snow. More snow is in the forecast for today and Thursday.
GAZETTE STAFF
JANESVILLE— Heavy rain that turned to snow, and perhaps tempered interest in the April 2 election, appeared Tuesday to keep voter numbers down at at least one Janesville polling site.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 8 p.m. as rain in the morning changed to heavy, wet sleet and snow in the afternoon, that continued into the evening.
Craig Gramke, chief inspector at Janesville City Hall, where Wards 3 and 4 voted, said as of 4 p.m. only 176 ballots had been cast out of 750 the city had delivered to the polling site. The city appeared to be expecting a larger turnout than what materialized, based on past primaries, Gramke said.
He said usually by 8 a.m. voters are lined up outside the door, which was not as much the case this year.
Snow falls outside the Hedberg Public Library in Janesville, one of many polling places in Tuesday’s election.
GAZETTE STAFF
“We usually get a rush of people at 4 or 5 p.m. after work but I think people are going to take one step outside and get in their cars and just go home,” he continued.
At Faith Lutheran Church, 2116 Mineral Point Ave., in Janesville, voters from Wards 3 and 4 cast their ballots Tuesday. Nicole Ludeking, the chief inspector at the church, said there was a steady flow of voters there throughout the day.
She said while the site saw no significant rushes, 349 ballots had been cast by 4:30.
Ludeking said she expected to see numbers pick up around 5 p.m. when people were getting done with work, but she predicted the weather was going to make it difficult for some people to get there.
Full results for all Rock County races are on the Rock County Clerk’s website, .
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