Voter turnout reported at almost 77%
Running elections is becoming old stuff for Steele County’s chief election judge and county auditor Laura Ihrke.
After all, Ihrke has presided over elections for the past 32 years as county auditor and even 10 years before that as a worker in the auditor’s office.
So it doesn’t come as surprise when Ihrke reported there were little to no problems in last week’s general election.
“We always have some minor things, but nothing major,” said Ihrke.
She is quick to point out the help she gets from election judges throughout the county’s 26 precincts.
“Everyone working together is what gets us through an election,” Ihrke said. “We are thankful for everyone that comes together.”
The only slight hiccup in the entire process was one Owatonna precinct in which returns didn’t come in until about 2 a.m. Ihrke explained that the delay was because the election judges were trying to find all absentee ballots with write-ins.
“I finally sent someone to help them,” Ihrke said, adding the judges in that particular precinct were being “extra careful and cautious.”
No incidents were reported on Election Day at any of the precincts, Ihrke said.
Voter turnout this year was 76.84% with a total of 17,573 votes cast, according to Ihrke. Of the voters, 2,712 were absentee with 932 new voters.
Presidential elections tend to attract more voters as evidenced by the last election of 86.50% in 2020, the highest voter turnout in the county’s history.
After canvassing the election results Tuesday, Ihrke now turns her attention to the Post Election Review, which takes place Monday. The governor and U.S. Congress races will be the offices reviewed in two randomly chosen precincts. During the review, all ballots will be hand counted and matched with the results of the voting machine.
“It’s an audit of the machine to make sure it’s working like it’s supposed to,” Ihrke said.
Ihrke got a little reprieve from election madness this year as she didn’t have to run for her own job for the first time ever. Earlier this year, the county approved making the auditor’s position appointed instead of elected. She had appeared on the ballot eight times dating back to 1990.
“It was different,” she said of not running for re-election.
After more than four decades in the auditor’s office, Ihrke didn’t give any indication as to how many more elections she may be handling other than to say, “I can see the light at the end.”
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Steele County Election Results
Total Absentee Percentage
Votes Ballots
2022 17,573 2,712 76.84%
2020 21,253 8,592 86.50%
2018 16,445 2,595 73.00%
2016 19,352 2,837 82.99%
2014 12,645 960 59.78%
2012 19,228 1,623 80.85%
2010 14,850 824 67.05%
2008 19,760 1,734 80.65%
2006 15,358 N/A 68.20%
2004 18,904 N/A 81.50%
2002 15,819 N/A 77.19%
2000 16,245 N/A 76.36%
Key: Bold denotes presidential elections
Source: Steele County Auditor’s Office
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