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Outside Mount Pleasant precincts, voters say ballot proposals were important this election

Heather Katsoulis
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https://flic.kr/p/5zi7YB

Across the state, poll workers are reporting high voter turnout.

In Mount Pleasant, voters listed a number of issues that brought them out to vote: from the basics of civic duty to the statewide proposals on the ballot.

Jill Elliott is a Mount Pleasant resident. She said proposal one - which would legalize recreational marijuana - is one of the important issues on the ballot for her.

“I think it’s very important to decriminalize it. A lot of minorities end up in jail, four times more likely to get prosecuted. Even with a medical card I still find it important to vote.”

Elliott said she voted yes on all of the ballot proposals.

Jenny Simaz is a local resident who said her parents instilled the importance of voting in her. This election, Simaz said, opposing marijuana legalization was particularly important to her.

“Some things, you know, people really stand for in terms of marijuana but there are a lot of things that people don’t really like about it.”

Brandon Proctor thought he was registered to vote in Mount Pleasant but realized he needs to vote in Weidman, about a half-hour away. He said proposal 2 - which would allow voters to draw political districts - is what brought him out.

“The problem with me is I don’t like how the government is secretive. I want to make sure people know what’s going on.”

Proctor said he was going to try to make it out to Weidman so he can vote.

Other voters at Mount Pleasant precincts also pointed to the proposals as issues that were important to them this election.

The county clerk’s office said precincts have had steady turnout all day.