NEWS
1.5 milion Michiganders turn out
to vote in primaries this week
The Michigan Daily - Monday,'August 9, 2004-3
PRIMARIES
Continued from Page 1
Rep. Paul DeWeese collected 7 percent.
In the 52nd state district, seven candi-
dates competed for the state representa-
tive seat that the term-limited Gene
DeRossett will be vacating.
According to statistics from Washte-
naw County Clerk's Office, only about 9
percent of registered voters in the city of
Ann Arbor cast a ballot on Tuesday.
County-wide, voter turnout was roughly
16 percent.
Voting at campus polling places was
percent of registered voters who cast
ballots. Turnout was considerably higher
at off-campus locations, such as schools
and churches.
Precinct workers at the South Quad
polling place remarked that low voter
turnout at campus locations might have
been attributed to relatively difficult
campus parking as compared to the
other locations in the city. Only 7 people
showed up at their location on Tuesday.
Several Ann Arbor voters revealed
that issues such as education, the econo-
my, national security and the Iraq war
resonated in their minds when casting
their ballots.
"I'm not against Republicans per say,
I'm just against the President,"
explained Emily Milner, an Ann Arbor
resident and retiree, who voted at Pio-
neer High School.
In Michigan's traditionally progres-
sive 15th Congressional District, which
includes the heavily student-populated
53rd state district, incumbent John Din-
gell ran unopposed for Democratic
Party nomination, as did his eventual
Republican challenger Dawn Anne
Reamer. Dingell received 15,460 Washt-
enaw County votes, while Reamer col-
lected 4,083.
Also in the 53rd district, Democratic
incumbent state Rep. Chris Kolb won
his party's nomination with about 92
percent of the vote, defeating newcomer
Scott Schlimner, who garnered almost
8 percent. Kolb will face Erik Sheagren,
who ran unopposed for the GOP nomi-
nation.
Washtenaw County Commissioner
Joe Yekulis won the GOP nomination
with about 54 percent of the vote, edg-
ing out Saline City Councilwoman Ali-
cia Ping by 9 points.
Yekulis described his outlook for
November is "very positive" and his
game plan as being "very simple".
"It comes down to meeting as many
people as possible and convincing them
that I have the experience, skills and
abilities to represent them in the Michi-
gan House of Representatives next
year."
Pam Byrnes, Washtenaw County road
commissioner, won the Democratic pri-
mary, finishing with 56 percent of the
vote. Philip Zazove was second, with 35
percent, and Fran Brennan Pontoni fin-
ished with 9 percent.
The Ann Arbor Medical Marijuana
Act may gain momentum, following the
approval of a similar initiative in Detroit
on Tuesday.
If approved, the act would modify the
Ann Arbor city code to allow qualified
patients to possess and cultivate marijua-
na for medicinal purposes with a doc-
tor's authorization.
Ann Arbor resident Timothy Paulding, who is visually handicapped, is assisted by
an election official at the Michigan Union polling place on Tuesday for a state-wide
primary election. Paulding was the eighth voter of the day at this precinct.
The controversial initiative has poses, why not?" she said.
received criticism from a range of legis- L SA junior Candace Forte
lators, who are wary of the implications believes that marijuana should be
of passing the act, and point to the completely legalized because she
unproven effectiveness of the substance thinks it is no more dangerous than
as a medical treatment. the abuse of substances that are
LSA junior Caitlin McCarthy says legal, such as alcohol and over-the-
she supports the act. counter drugs.
"In terms of legalizing in general, I'm The Ann Arbor Medical Marijuana
very ambivalent, but for medical pur- Act will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot.
AAPD cracks down on bar fights
By Melissa Benton
Daily Staff Reporter
Ann Arbor nightlife is returning
to normal, according to the Ann
Arbor Police Department, after a
series of bar fights in July involv-
ing hundreds of people.
While bar fights are fairly common,
AAPD had been taking extra precau-
tions to prevent similar incidents in the
future because of the unusually large S Unisiy A
number of participants that were
involved in the fights, Deputy Chief
Greg O'Dell said.
"The primary thing that we've
done is increased patrols during
closing time," he said, adding that
AAPD has also changed the work
schedules for several officers, so
there are now more officers on duty
at 2 a.m.
There have been no complaints
since the most recent brawl broke
out at Studio 4 on South Fourth
Avenue on July 26, O'Dell said.
Almost 200 people were involved in
the fight outside Studio 4. Three
women were arrested, one for striking
someone in the head with a bottle, and
the other two for disorderly fighting. - f x
When police officers began ques-
tioning witnesses to determine what Sun- Tfur 1130 a m. to 10:00p.m. N Unversty
Fri -4a.1:0amt 10 ~.ys
*happened, they found that some of Fr-Sat.11:30a.mt1:O0p.
the names given were the same -. p555
from a previous fight on July 8.
That brawl occurred outside the
See BRAWLS, Page 10 122 So nivs fat Fra . Arbor
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