FARGO - Turnout for the city’s special election totaled 14,543 by the end of Tuesday, more than in June, the last time voters picked a mayor.
That number might change a little because there are sometimes glitches that cause the poll book software to leave people out, said Cass County Election Coordinator DeAnn Buckhouse.
In June, 13,820 voted in the mayoral race, giving Dennis Walaker a third term. Walaker died in December, triggering the special election to pick his successor.
For Buckhouse, this is also the first election in which the new electronic poll books are used.
The county got them because the old poll books had trouble syncing up with the central server and would sometimes lock up, forcing poll workers to reboot.
The new devices also allow Buckhouse and poll workers to find out how many people voted, where they voted, when they voted and their age. That could help the county ensure there are enough poll workers at peak times and locations, and help parties target demographic groups with low turnout, she said.
Turnout on Tuesday was 10,011, she said. There were 3,910 who voted during early voting last week and 622 more who voted by absentee ballot, she said.
