Voter Turnout in Oakland County – Where Does Your City Stand?
(Kurt Metzger, March 11, 2020)
The 2020 Michigan Presidential Primary is history, and it is time to take a brief look at how our Oakland County communities fared.
Overall, while turnout was up, from the 2016 Primary, across the state, Oakland County experienced a surprising dip from 40.2 to 36.7 percent.
School and community bond issues were unanimously approved, and county voters heavily endorsed the DIA millage with a 76 percent Yes vote.
Turning to the voter turnout numbers across the county, we saw many of the usual trends in terms of high and low propensity to vote. The fact that there was only a contest on the Democratic side (both were in play in 2016), tended to dampen turnout in communities where Republican voters dominate.
The perennial champ, Huntington Woods, did it once again with a 64.0 percent turnout. In fact, they had 5 of the top 7 performing precincts! Pleasant Ridge was the perennial bridesmaid, coming in second with 59.5 percent, followed by Lathrup Village (55.4%) and Ferndale (51.5 percent). Southfield township, comprised of Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms and Franklin, rounded out the top 5 with a 49.6 percent turnout. All but Southfield township register a gain of between 4 and 6 percentage points over 2016. The township actually dropped by 2 points.
On the other end of the spectrum we have Pontiac with a turnout rate of only 19.5 percent. Pontiac accounted for 13 of the 14 lowest performing precincts, with three not even achieving 10 percent. Following a Pontiac were Holly Township (25.0%), Hazel Park (27.0 percent), Royal Oak Township (27.4 percent), and Walled Lake (28.6 percent).
Whether you are working for Democrats or Republicans, there is no need for sophisticated databases to understand where to put turnout efforts in Oakland County in advance of November.
Community | Registered Voters | Ballots Cast | |
Pontiac | 45,469 | 8,882 | 19.5% |
Holly Township | 9,395 | 2,351 | 25.0% |
Hazel Park | 12,165 | 3,280 | 27.0% |
Royal Oak Township | 2,588 | 708 | 27.4% |
Walled Lake | 5,506 | 1,573 | 28.6% |
Keego Harbor | 2,164 | 642 | 29.7% |
Rose Township | 5,095 | 1,570 | 30.8% |
White Lake Township | 25,542 | 7,913 | 31.0% |
South Lyon | 9,282 | 2,880 | 31.0% |
Waterford Township | 56,825 | 18,114 | 31.9% |
Wixom | 10,819 | 3,460 | 32.0% |
Madison Heights | 21,240 | 6,900 | 32.5% |
Springfield Township | 11,438 | 3,742 | 32.7% |
Commerce Township | 34,040 | 11,224 | 33.0% |
Oxford Township | 16,678 | 5,516 | 33.1% |
Groveland Township | 4,660 | 1,548 | 33.2% |
Rochester | 10,829 | 3,615 | 33.4% |
Highland Township | 15,680 | 5,256 | 33.5% |
Milford Township | 13,856 | 4,657 | 33.6% |
Auburn Hills | 15,340 | 5,195 | 33.9% |
Brandon Township | 12,649 | 4,295 | 34.0% |
Orchard Lake | 1,995 | 689 | 34.5% |
Troy | 60,766 | 21,245 | 35.0% |
Orion Township | 28,916 | 10,119 | 35.0% |
Southfield | 62,364 | 22,737 | 36.5% |
Rochester Hills | 55,203 | 20,285 | 36.7% |
Independence Township | 28,463 | 10,532 | 37.0% |
Lyon Township | 15,390 | 5,718 | 37.2% |
Oakland Township | 14,794 | 5,501 | 37.2% |
Novi | 42,732 | 15,970 | 37.4% |
Oak Park | 24,981 | 9,352 | 37.4% |
Bloomfield Hills | 3,805 | 1,431 | 37.6% |
West Bloomfield Township | 53,437 | 20,308 | 38.0% |
Addison Township | 5,023 | 1,914 | 38.1% |
Clawson | 10,281 | 4,184 | 40.7% |
Birmingham | 18,121 | 7,630 | 42.1% |
Royal Oak | 49,845 | 21,022 | 42.2% |
Farmington Hills | 63,051 | 27,512 | 43.6% |
Berkley | 12,984 | 5,774 | 44.5% |
Sylvan Lake | 1,523 | 686 | 45.0% |
Novi Township | 130 | 60 | 46.2% |
Lake Angelus | 246 | 115 | 46.7% |
Bloomfield Township | 36,856 | 17,684 | 48.0% |
Farmington | 7,632 | 3,747 | 49.1% |
Northville | 2,671 | 1,318 | 49.3% |
Southfield Township | 12,368 | 6,137 | 49.6% |
Ferndale | 16,297 | 8,388 | 51.5% |
Lathrup Village | 3,781 | 2,095 | 55.4% |
Pleasant Ridge | 2,442 | 1,453 | 59.5% |
Huntington Woods | 5,554 | 3,556 | 64.0% |