Albany County 2018 Midterm Election By the Numbers
Last week's general midterm election saw nearly 15,000 Albany County residents gather at their polling place to make their voices heard on several political issues.
The 2018 midterm general election also saw a large increase in voters from the 2014 midterm general election. Whereas 2014's midterm election saw 9,795 votes cast, 2018's midterm election saw a 48% increase to 14,515 votes cast. However, the voter turnout was still higher for 2016's presidential election, which saw 16,711 votes cast.
2018 also saw an increase in voter registrations. As of January 1, 2018, 17,397 voters were registered in Albany County. By November 5, that number had grown to 18,684, an increase of roughly 7%.
An estimated 2,587 new voters registered at their polling places on Election Day, with an estimated 710 voters (about 27%) registered in precinct 14-1. It's worth noting that precinct 14-1 includes apartment complexes like The Verge and Bison Run, both of which are housing communities geared towards college students.
Not all residents waited until Election Day to vote, though. Nearly 37% of Albany County residents participated in early or absentee voting, with 5,341 absentee and early votes submitted this election cycle.
The Albany County Clerk's office will release a full report later this month with a detailed breakdown of votes by party, gender, and age demographics.