When voters go to the polls Aug. 2 to cast ballots in the primary election, clerks in the largest two Branch County jurisdictions expect a moderate turnout, based on early absentee ballots. A bigger turnout is expected for the November general election.

Coldwater clerk Susan Heath said she sent about 2,300 permanent absentee voters applications. Many of them sent back their application saying they want to vote only November ballots.

By the close of the polls, at 8 p.m. Aug. 2, Heath expects around 1,000 will vote absentee.

Coldwater Township clerk Diane Morrison said a similar thing happened with township AV voters.

"We sent out well over 700 applications," Morrison said. "You'll have dual applications for the August and November election. And we've received 382 requests for ballots (for this August primary)."

By Friday, only 245 returned the filled-in ballot.

Heath expects more voters in the November general election.

"Who knows for sure," she said. "You expect a small turnout, and it goes over crazy-big. If you think big, you're disappointed."

Morrison said a concern for the August primary is voters who try to cast votes in both the Republican and Democratic races, even though there are no contested races, expect write-ins on the Democratic side in Branch County. If a person does cross-vote, "those ballots are spoiled."

Morrison encourages in-person voters to use the computer ballots at their precincts. The computer prevents casting a vote for both parties.

All precincts have computer ballots designed initially for voters with a disability, called a voter-assisted terminal. Special provisions allow those who hard-of-hearing or blind to cast ballots, but the computer poll is available to everyone.

"If you can't see the screen, you can use a headphone," Morrison said. "You can even write in candidates."

For those concerned about voter fraud, the voting machines are not hooked to the internet.

The touch-screen prints a paper ballot to ensure a person's votes are cast for the correct candidates and measures. It's on special paper with a tear-off, numbered tab, like a hand-cast paper ballot.

Voters can read how their votes were cast before it is put into the security-sleeve. The ballot is inserted in the voting machine and registered with other paper ballots.

"It's just like a regular ballot," Morrison said. "It gives you a printed ballot. And it's part of the count of the audit (or ready for a recount if necessary)."

Unlike the party primary vote in August, cross-party voting is allowed in the November general election.