Turnout was light on primary and municipal election day this year.

In Morton County 3,535 people voted. In Burleigh County, which did not provide an overall vote total, the turnout was described as light.

Both counties had open-seat races for their city and county commissions.

In 2006, 13,882 voted in Burleigh County and 4,750 in Morton County. And in 2004, 11,034 voted in Burleigh County and 3,800 in Morton County .

Kevin Glatt, who runs the election process as Burleigh County's auditor-treasurer, said turnout was "very light."

"In precincts that would have cast 650 ballots in a normal election, there were 325 today," he said.

Glatt said he had no idea why turnout was so light, and expected a higher turnout given how many candidates were on the ballot.

Statewide totals were not available at the time of printing.

But according to statistics from the North Dakota Secretary of State's office, the turnout was on pace to be on the low side. The overall lowest turnout came in the 2004 primary election when 92,209 North Dakotans voted. The highest primary turnout came in 1992, when 146,867 people showed up to cast ballots.

(Reach reporter Jonathan Rivoli at 250-8264 or jonathan.rivoli@bismarcktribune.com.)