MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - August primary elections tend to have a lower voter turnout, but this year looks to record some of the scarcest polling numbers in over twenty years.

A few reasons have been attributed to the anemic turnout, but a number of unopposed elections seems to be the primary cause. Especially in the Governor and U.S. Senate races, in which for the first time in Michigan's history both elections feature the two major party candidates running unopposed.

The low numbers mean another thing for the Michigan elections. Third party candidates and major party small groups like the Tea Party have a substantially better chance at stealing a victory in a contested election.

With political cynicism and apathy also being likely causes for the voter drought, and many feeling disenfranchised by their government, the party they may identify with, or the democratic system all together.

For those who did in fact go out to the polls, the feeling that a single vote doesn't count will not be as real this time. As one vote among thousands as opposed to millions, can make more of a difference.

“When you have a small turnout, what it does is it allows an extreme viewpoint to be more predominate because those individuals are more likely to vote so their vote counts more. It’s more heavily weighted,” said Brett Dreyfus, Meridian Township Clerk.

Only 7,445 Meridian Township voters went to the polls on August 5 for the primary election. There were 2,986 absentee voters.

Of the 7,297 voters that voted for the Meridian Township millage proposal, 4,644 said ‘Yes’ and 2,653 said ‘No.’ It cannot be determined who voted absentee and who actually showed up to the polling location because all ballots were filed together.

“So much in terms of turnout depends on what kind of activity you have at the top of the ballot, and we have none in Michigan,” said Bernie Porn, President, EPIC/MRA. “For governor and U.S. Senate, both parties have their nominees already selected.”

Voters across the state of Michigan favored the state proposal. Among the 1,245,314 voters that voted for the state proposal, 862,953 said ‘Yes’ and 382,361 said ‘No.’ Compared to the state’s numbers as a whole, of the Meridian Township voters, 4,701 said ‘Yes’ and 2,429 said ‘No.’

Despite the candidates’ campaign efforts, voters just didn't make it to the polls, as some would have hoped.

“The turnout for the general election is going to be much closer to a normal gubernatorial election year,” said Porn. “There’s no reason not to think that…the turnout will not be normal.”