In Rochester Hills, 1 in 4 Registered Voters Turned Out for Tuesday Primary

What inspires people to get out to vote?

On Tuesday, Rochester and Rochester Hills voters went to the polls to support their favorite state House of Representative candidate and their favorite regional art museum, according to an informal poll on the Rochester Patch Facebook page. 

In Rochester Hills, voter turnout was 25.3 percent, just below the Oakland County turnout of 25.69 percent. In Rochester, voter turnout was 21.7 percent. 

At least one Patch reader put the right to vote into perspective:

"Even when the ballot seems light, I always vote," wrote Jen Petrotta. "I want my girls to know that civic duty is always worth it, especially as a woman and as the granddaughter of a WWII vet who has always taught me that freedom is never free.

"I have the freedom to vote and so I vote."

Here are a few numbers to note from Tuesday's primary election:

• In two Rochester Hills precincts, the Oakland County Art Authority millage failed, even though it passed countywide. In Precinct 5, located between Dequindre and John R and Hamlin and Auburn, the vote was 198 yes, 216 no. In Precinct 16, which is between South and Auburn and Rochester and Livernois, the vote was 169 yes, 208 no. 
• In Rochester, voters overwhemingly supported the art millage — the vote was almost 2 to 1 in favor of the question.
• In Oakland County, 3.4 percent of voters cast an invalid ballot — according to election rules, you cannot split your primary ballot between Democrat and Republican parties. In Rochester Hills, 3 percent of voters cast a crossover ballot. In Rochester, it was 3.4 percent.

Here's a look at the votes cast: