All precincts reported a modest increase in voter turnout Tuesday morning, comparable to a reported 25 percent increase in early voting, but by mid-afternoon turnout in Greenbelt West had eclipsed most other precincts by a factor of nearly six. Tuesday’s city council election, which will seat at least one new member to the seat being vacated by Konrad Herling, was expected to draw more interest than usual as it pit seven new candidates against six incumbents, all vying for seven seats. By 3 p.m. in Precinct 8, which comprises Franklin Park and Greenbelt Station, 104 persons had cast votes, up from only 40 for the same time frame in the city council election of 2015, according to City Clerk Bonita Anderson. That is an increase of 160 percent, which may be partially attributable to additional housing units added in Greenbelt Station, figures for which were unavailable at press time.
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