Official predicts 16 percent turnout for rare winter election in SD26

County Auditor Laura Ihrke tells MnIndy she can’t recall another winter election in Steele County over the last 30 years. But based on midday reports she guesstimated a turnout percentage of 16 — or twice the high temperature, since polls opened Tuesday, of 8º F.

Ihrke said by lunchtime some precincts had seen as many as 10 percent of registered voters at the polls.

For Ihrke, 26 is the number of the day, Jan. 26. Steele County, with more than half the land area of Senate District 26, has 26 precincts, including 10 in its biggest city, Owatonna; one each in the cities of Medford, Ellendale and Blooming Prairie; and the remainder in rural townships.

“Things are going fine,” she said, although “cold weather may be a deterrent.” Still, she expects citizens have been made aware of the election through advertisements in local newspapers and mailings.

Polls close at 8 p.m., with the first results expected by about 8:30 p.m., according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office, which will post returns on its website.

The Senate District 26 special election pits DFLer Jason Engbrecht against Republican Mike Parry and Roy Srp of the Independence Party in a contest to replace retiring Republican Dick Day.