Midterm Voter Turnout In STL County Approached Record Levels

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO — A contentious senate race and high-profile ballot initiatives seeking to raise the minimum wage and legalize medical marijuana (not to mention some important charter amendments and a potential tax hike) drove St. Louis County voters to the polls Tuesday in near record numbers, elections officials said.

(SEE ALSO: Missouri Midterms 2018: Election Results And Up-To-Date Coverage)

Despite some problems reported at the polls, by early afternoon voter turnout in St. Louis County had already climbed past where it was during the last midterm election in 2014 and was approaching levels usually reserved for presidential elections, officials said.

As the state's most populous county, high turnout in suburban St. Louis could sway the overall direction of the state's politics — or even help determine who controls Congress next year. If Republicans really are in danger among suburban women, as some pollsters and political pundits have argued, the county seems prime political territory for Democrats to rack up large margins.

McCaskill was one of more than 317,445 voters in St. Louis County who had made it to the polls by 4 p.m., according to elections officials. That's about 47 percent of the county's registered voters. Turnout in some parts of the county — Webster and Clayton — was already approaching 60 percent by the same time.

Find results for the most important races being decided today:

• Missouri U.S. Senate Race
• Missouri-02
• Medical Marijuana
• Clean Missouri, Gas Tax, Minimum Wage
• St. Louis County Results

Missouri Midterms 2018

Photo: Supporters of Sen. Claire McCaskill encourage voters to turn out in downtown St. Louis. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)