Madison County’s voter turnout: which precincts were highest, and how did it compare to past elections?

MADISON COUNTY — Just over half of Madison County’s registered voters headed to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the 2018 midterm election, according to Madison County Probate reports. The 52.7 percent of the county’s registered voters who participated in this election is the highest turnout in recent years, excluding the 2016 presidential election.

OVERALL TURNOUT

Madison County’s participation is slightly above the statewide average of 49.8 percent, according to the Alabama Secretary of State’s website. Nearly 1,722,000 Alabamians voted in the midterm elections.

As of Oct. 22—the last day to register to vote in time for the midterms—there are 268,389 voters registered in Madison County. This number is nearly 6,000 more than the number of registered voters at the time of the 2016 presidential election, though that race saw about 63 percent of voters turn out for that election. Out of this election’s registered voters, 141,444 cast their ballots. This far exceeds the approximately 88,000 ballots cast in Madison County’s 2014 midterms.

According to The New York Times, Republicans still turn out in greater numbers statewide than Democrats, recording “far higher” numbers in this summer’s primary election.

On Tuesday, 87,107 voters in Madison County chose to mark straight party voting on their ballots. Of these, 55.95 percent voted for the Alabama Republican Party and 43.97 percent voted for the Alabama Democratic Party, according to Scytl.

In contested races affecting Madison County, Republicans came out on top in all but one. Democrat challenger Caroline Self earned more votes in the county than Republican incumbent Tim Melson, though Melson was able to gain enough votes in other counties to win by a substantial margin of about 35 percent to continue representing district 1 in the state senate. The race was close for district 2 state senator in the county as well: Republican Tom Butler edged out Democrat Amy Wasyluka by less than 500 votes out of more than 47,000 cast, but Butler won by about 9 percent overall.

One of Madison County’s key races this election was between incumbent U.S. Congressman Mo Brooks and Peter Joffrion, a democratic newcomer from Huntsville. The two battled it out for control of the seat in Washington, D.C., representing Alabama’s 5th congressional district. Though Brooks won another term with about 61 percent of the vote overall, the race was much tighter within Madison County: the margin came out to about 6 percent—less than 10,000 votes—compared to about 22 percent across the district as a whole.

PRECINCT TURNOUT

Voters at Monte Sano Fire Station had the highest voter participation out of all precincts in Madison County with nearly 69 percent casting ballots in this election. Madison County Nature Trail precinct was close behind with about 67 percent. The lowest percentage belongs to A & M University Gym with just under 21 percent. The majority of Madison County’s precincts had participation percentages in the 40s and 50s.

The following is a breakdown of each precinct’s voter participation in Madison County by percentage in Tuesday’s election:

1 – A & M University Gym – 20.76

2 – Charles Stone Agricultural Center – 29.25

3 – Jackson Way Baptist Church – 49.07

4 – First Baptist Church – 59.01

5 – Optimist Park – 59.09

6 – Northeast Huntsville Training and Conference Center – 58.01

7 – Cove Church at Chase – 56.23

8 – Clements Baptist Church – 57.61

9 – Trinity Presbyterian Church – 37.9

10 – Monte Sano Fire Station – 68.51

11 – Cove United Methodist Church – 57.14

12 – Hampton Cove Church of Christ – 56.66

13 – Covenant Presbyterian Church – 60.77

14 – Southwood Presbyterian Church – 58.8

15 – Willowbrook Baptist Church – 56.08

16 – Westside Community Center – 21.58

17 – Trinity United Methodist Church – 44

18 – The Whitesburg Center – 57.59

19 – Weatherly Heights Baptist Church – 61.16

20 – Aldersgate United Methodist Church – 58.69

21 – The Dwelling Place – 53.84

23 – Hillwood Baptist Church – 50.45

26 – Community Fellowship – 39.68

27 – Oakwood University Church – 39.68

29 – Madison County Nature Trail – 67.06

31 – Fire and Rescue Training Academy – 45.84

35 – First Missionary Baptist Church – 43.2

36 – Dr. Richard Showers Center – 41.25

37 – New Shiloh Church Ministries – 48.7

38 – Robert “Bob” Harrison Senior Wellness and Advocacy Center – 52.25

39 – Calvary Hill Friendship Center – 31.07

40 – Lewis Chapel C.P. Church – 46.14

44 – Pleasant Springs Baptist Church – 47.28

45 – Lakewood Community Center – 40.54

46 – West Huntsville Baptist Church – 32.79

49 – All Nations Church – 34.77

50 – St. Luke Christian Church – 34.25

51 – Grace United Methodist Church – 49.91

53 – Intergraph Corporation – 50.27

54 – Sherwood Baptist Church – 44.29

55 – New Market Fire Station – 51.67

56 – Maysville Church of Christ – 53.13

58 – Little Indian Creek P.B. Church – 63.39

60 – Triana City Hall – 56.07

61- Rivertree Church – 58.47

62 – Gurley Senior Center – 47.23

63 – Madison Mission 7th Day Adv. Church – 48.23

64 – Pineview Baptist Church – 52.97

65 – Toney United Methodist Church – 49.06

66 – Mary Kelly Johnston Gym – 48.98

67 – Plainview Church of Christ – 43.68

68 – New Hope City Hall – 46.07

69 – Madison Church of Christ – 55.75

70 – First Church of God (Madison) – 58.99

71 – Madison City Hall – 55.78

72 – Locust Grove Baptist Church – 53.78

73 – Plevna/New Market Fire Department – 53.04

75 – Owens Cross Roads City Hall – 52.12

76 – First Baptist Church of Meridianville – 57.17

77 – Brownsboro Baptist Church – 53.64

78 – Monrovia Church of Christ – 53.71

80 – County Commission District #1 Office – 43.97

81 – Bobo Volunteer Fire Department – 44.49

83 – Meridianville Church of Christ – 53.35

84 – Mt. Zion Baptist Church – 57.11

85 – Harold Harbin Gym – 49.41

88 – Faith Lutheran Church – 53.08

89 – Madison Baptist Church – 50.85

90 – St. John’s Catholic Church – 57.9

91 – Restoration Foursquare Church – 58.06

92 – Monrovia Community Center – 57.98

93 – Harvest Baptist Church – 52.94

This election saw all 73 participating precincts reporting votes, which included the reporting of absentee votes as the last “precinct.” In all, 4,345 absentee ballots were cast for Madison County’s midterm election.

Precinct data was provided by Scytl. All other election data is courtesy of Madison County Probate Judge Tommy Ragland and the county’s election team on sos.alabama.gov. Numbers are accurate as of Nov. 7.