Election Results for Manchester, Freedom, Bridgewater & Sharon Townships

Map showing voter turnout in Washtenaw County by precincts. From Washtenaw County Election Results Website.

Last Tuesday’s election saw record turnout state-wide for a Michigan presidential primary. The Manchester area was no exception, with on average twice the turnout of the 2012 primary:

• Manchester Village had 711 voters or 40.31% of registered voters, up from 19.5% in 2012.
• Manchester Township had 853 voters or 42.48% of registered voters, up from 21.37% in 2012.
• Freedom Township had 572 voters or 47.55% of registered voters, up from 22.91% in 2012.
• Bridgewater had 555 voters or 43.02% of registered voters, up from 24.31% in 2012.
• Sharon Township had 655 voters or 43.52% of registered voters, up from 23.63% in 2012.

Freedom Township’s clerk Valise Bristle confirmed an impressive turnout for Freedom Township and even with greater than expected turnout, they had enough polling booths set up and ballots ordered to keep things running smoothly. Sharon Township’s clerk Chelsea Mikel stated that Sharon Township prides themselves on high voter turnout so they were prepared and pleasantly surprised!

Mikel explained, “The turnout kept energy high and voters wanted updates throughout the day! “MIGHTY LITTLE SHARON TOWNSHIP” wanted their voice to be heard! It was a great election and I have great residents and election workers to thank for that!”

Like the rest of the precincts in Washtenaw County, which passed the county-wide emergency communications millage renewal (75.84% to 24.16% countywide), the Manchester area voted overwhelmingly to support the proposal:

• Manchester Village voted yes with 492 to no with 168
• Manchester Township voted yes with 562 to no with 250
• Freedom Township voted yes with 355 to no with 155
• Bridgewater Township voted yes with 352 to no with 166
• Sharon Township voted yes with 411 to no with 198.

Washtenaw County as a whole supported Bernie Sanders with 55.39% of the vote over Hillary Clinton with 43.69% of the vote. Four of our five precincts followed this pattern although with higher margins for Sanders. However, in Freedom Township Sanders and Clinton tied–each receiving 105 votes. While it wouldn’t have made a difference at all in our primary where delegates are proportionally allocated, it is interesting to note that one person in Freedom Township voted for Rocky De La Fuente, and if that one person would have voted for Sanders or Clinton, he or she would have swung the precinct to a victory for the respective candidate.

• Manchester Village supported Bernie Sanders with 232 votes (63.74%) to Hillary Clinton’s 126 votes (34.62%)
• Manchester Township supported Bernie Sanders with 196 votes (58.86%) to Hillary Clinton’s 129 (38.74%) and Rocky De La Fuente’s 1 vote (0.30%) and Martin J. O’Malley’s 1 vote (0.30%).
• Freedom Township came out in equal measure for Bernie Sanders with 105 votes (49.76%) and Hillary Clinton with 105 votes (49.76%). Rocky De La Fuente received 1 vote (0.47%).
• Bridgewater Township supported Bernie Sanders with 106 votes (59.22%) to Hillary Clinton’s 69 votes (38.55%).
• Sharon Township supported Bernie Sanders with 146 votes (57.71%) to Hillary Clinton’s 107 votes (42.29%).

In the Republican primary, Washtenaw County county supported Kasich with 34% of the vote to Trump’s 27.5%, Cruz’s 23.1% and Rubio’s 11.05%. (“Uncommitted” and other candidates received less than 2% of the vote each.) Freedom Township followed this trend but our four other area precincts supported Trump:

• Manchester Village supported Donald J. Trump with 135 votes (39.82%)
  to Ted Cruz’s 76 votes (22.42%), John R. Katich’s 73 votes (21.53%), Marco Rubio’s 31 votes (9.14%), Ben Carson’s 6 votes (1.77%), Rand Paul’s 5 votes (1.48%), Jeb Bush’s 3 votes (0.89%), Chris Christie’s 1 vote (0.29%), Carly Fiorina’s 1 vote (0.29%), Mike Huckabee’s 1 vote (0.29%) and 7 “Uncommitted” votes (2.06%).
• Manchester Township supported Donald J. Trump with 198 votes (38.67%) to Ted Cruz’s 138 votes, (26.95%), John R. Kasich’s 109 votes (21.29%), Marco Rubio’s 36 votes (7.03%), Ben Carson’s 8 votes (1.56%), Jeb Bush’s 4 votes (0.78%), Rand Paul’s 2 votes (0.39%), Chris Christie’s 1 vote (0.20%), Lindsey Graham’s 1 vote (0.20%) and 15 “Uncommitted” votes.
• Freedom Township supported John R. Kasich with 120 votes (33.71%) to Ted Cruz with 106 votes (29.77%), Donald J. Trump with 101 votes (28.37%), Marco Rubio’s 20 votes (5.62%), Ben Carson’s 4 votes (1.12%), Jeb Bush’s 2 votes (0.56%), Lindsey Graham’s 1 vote (0.28%), Mike Huckabee’s 1 vote (0.28%) and Rand Paul’s 1 vote (0.28%).
• Bridgewater Township supported Donald J. Trump with 150 votes (40.98%) to Ted Cruz’s 95 votes (25.96%), John R. Kasich’s 71 votes (19.40%), Marco Rubio’s 26 votes (7.10%), Ben Carson’s 8 votes (2.19%), Jeb Bush’s 4 votes (1.09%), Rand Paul’s 1 vote (0.27%) and 11 “Uncommitted” votes (3.00%).
• Sharon Township voted for Donald J. Trump with 154 votes (39.69%) to Ted Cruz’s 95 votes (24.48%), John R. Kasich’s 91 (23.45%), Marco Rubio’s 32 votes (8.25%), Ben Carson’s 6 votes (1.55%), Rand Paul’s 2 votes (0.52%), Mike Huckabee’s 1 vote (0.26%), George Pataki’s 1 vote (0.26%), Rick Santorum’s 1 vote (0.26%) and 5 “Uncommitted” votes (1.29%).

Results are taken from Washtenaw County Election Results Website HERE.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.