Latest news, weather, high school sports for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

UPPER PENINSULA -- Americans formed long lines all over Michigan on Tuesday to make their voices heard in this year's history-making election and it turned out to be a record-breaker for Michigan.  Sixty-six percent of registered voters in Michigan cast their vote on Election Day, which was still down from the predicted 70 percent.

In the Upper Peninsula, however, the numbers looked much the same as they did in 2004.

County                        2008                        2004

Delta                             69%                         69%

Iron                                66%                         67%

Dickinson                     65%                         66%

Keweenaw                  76%                          78%

Alger                              66%                         N/A

Marquette                     67%                         67%

Ontonagon                  63%                          63%

Luce                              61%                          N/A

Schoolcraft                  69%                          70%

Menominee                61%                          64%

Baraga                        59%                           38%

Houghton                    66%                          N/A

Gogebic                      62%                           62%

So why so little change in four years?  It's possible that it was because for the last several weeks, Michigan wasn't a true battleground state after the McCain campaign pulled out.

"I think there was some dissension at the beginning of the campaign and I think there was just a bit more enthusiasm on the Democratic side," said Bob Kulisheck, retired political science professor for Northern Michigan University.

There was also a shift in demographics.

"Large numbers of young people were voting in far excess of what they had previously," Kulisheck said.

That could be one explanation for the long lines that many people saw right before polls closed Tuesday night.  Many students had to wait until after class to vote, flooding voting locations and creating long waits.

According to Kulisheck, however, regardless of who people voted for, most are simply looking forward to a change.