By Liz Moomey
liz.moomey@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — In the 2016 primary, Rowan County voters turned out at a lower percentage than the state, and they did it again on Tuesday.

As of Friday, a total of 25,791 Rowan County voters, or 28.15%, cast a ballot in the primary election. In North Carolina, more than 2.15 million people, or 31%, cast a ballot out of 6.94 million registered voters.

Meanwhile in March 2016 — the last time there was a presidential, U.S. Senate and gubernatorial primary — 33.6% of Rowan County voters, or 30,496 of the 90,766 registered voters, cast a ballot, and 35.7% registered North Carolinians voted.

Rowan County’s lower-than-2016 overall turnout comes despite the fact that its early voting numbers topped those from 2016. But on primary election day, 20.14% of voter in the county cast a ballot, with 61% voting Republican and 38.5% voting Democrat.

Overall, a total of 15,223 people, or 59%, voted a Republican ballot and 10,454, or 40.5%, voted a Democratic ballot. Fifty-one voted Libertarian, six voted a ballot for the Constitution Party and one voted Green. Fifty-six people voted a nonpartisan ballot. Seventeen people cast a blank ballot in which no selection was made in any race.

Voter turnout is unlikely to change noticeably, but canvas continues until March 13. The deadline for the Rowan County Board of Elections to receive absentee ballots was Friday with a postmark of Tuesday. Approved provisionals will be added to the totals.

Faith had the highest precinct turnout with 35.5%, or 939 casting a ballot. Scotch Irish followed with 33.79%, or 395 people, voting. West Ward I, at the Rowan Public Library in downtown Salisbury, 33.15% voted, or 429 people.

West Ward III, which contains Livingstone College and has its polling place at the Miller Recreation Center, was the lowest turnout precinct, with 346 people voting, or 13.27%. West Ward III, though, had the highest percentage of Democrats voting in a precinct with 334, or 96.5%. Only nine people voted a Republican ballot.

Bostian School had the highest percentage of Republican ballot voters, with 83.1%, or 413 ballots. Barnhardt Mill had the second highest percentage of Republican voters, with 80.4% of its 500 voters.

China Grove and West Enochville were popular spots for one third party, with six Libertarian ballots each.

At the Faith precinct, eight people chose to only vote in the $45 million bond referendum and cast a non-partisan ballot.

Landis and West Ward II, at Maupin Avenue Presbyterian Church, both had two Constitutional ballots cast.

Landis, where 28.8% of voters cast a ballot, was the largest population precinct, with 3,924 registered voters. The smallest population precinct is Morgan I, where 825 people are registered. Voters in Morgan I cast their ballot at Pooletown Fire Department on Election Day. About 28.1% of Morgan I voters cast a ballot in the primary election.

Other voter turnout by precinct:

• Blackwelder: 29.98%
• Bostian Cross Road: 29.08%
• Bradshaw: 27.37%
• China Grove: 30.41%
• Cleveland: 28.44%
• South Locke: 29.03%
• East Enochville: 27.9%
• Franklin: 30.83%
• Milford Hills County: 28.03%
• Rock Grove: 27.2%
• Granite Quarry: 29.87%
• Hatters Shop: 28.57%
• West Kannapolis: 24.7%
• North Locke: 31.23%
• Morgan II: 29.62%
• Mt. Ulla: 30.84%
• Rockwell: 25:88%
• Gold Knob: 28.9%
• Spencer: 27.66%
• Steele: 25.67%
• Sumner: 23.63%
• Trading Ford: 32.71%
• Unity: 30.87%
• Bostian School: 28.06%
• West Ward II: 27.68%
• South Ward: 26.36%
• East Ward: 25.75%
• West Innes: 32.81%
• North Ward: 32.7%
• Milford Hills City: 30.38
• West Enochville: 25.79%
• Ellis: 28.56%