Despite a primary ballot that featured a historic race for Lake County sheriff and several competitive county council contests, voter turnout across Lake County remained sluggish on May 5, with most communities failing to surpass 20%.
Just 16% of the county’s more than 367,000 registered voters cast ballots, according to Lake County Board of Elections data, putting countywide turnout at 16%.
Below is a breakdown of voter turnout across Lake County municipalities, along with precinct-level data showing where participation was highest and lowest.
What stood out
- Highland and Schererville led Lake County in voter turnout, with both municipalities surpassing 20%.
- Hammond generated the county’s largest raw vote total despite posting one of the county’s weakest turnout percentages.
- Lake Station recorded the county’s lowest turnout rate at just over 10%.
- Gary finished slightly above the countywide turnout average, with participation varying sharply across precincts.
- Most Lake County municipalities clustered between 15% and 18% turnout, underscoring how subdued participation remained countywide despite several high-profile races.
Suburban communities posted the county’s strongest turnout
Many of Lake County’s strongest turnout numbers came from southern suburban municipalities, where participation rates consistently outpaced the county average.
While no municipality crossed 21%, communities like Highland, Schererville, Dyer and St. John finished near the top of county turnout rankings. However, in Lake Station, nearly 9 in 10 registered voters did not participate in the primary election.
Highland posted the county’s strongest turnout
More than 1 in 5 registered voters cast ballots in Highland, giving the town the county’s highest turnout rate.
A total of 3,695 voters participated in the election out of Highland’s 17,900 registered voters.
Several Highland precincts significantly outperformed the county average, helping lift the municipality above every other community analyzed.
Schererville narrowly trailed Highland
Schererville was a close second for top turnout, with a 20.56% turnout rate. Nearly 4,900 residents voted in the primary election, one of the larger vote totals among Lake County municipalities.
The town’s precinct-level data showed relatively consistent participation across multiple voting districts, with several precincts exceeding 20% turnout.
Dyer and St. John continued stronger suburban participation trends
Dyer posted an 18.85% turnout rate, while neighboring St. John finished at 18.04%.
Combined, the two municipalities generated nearly 6,000 ballots despite having significantly smaller populations than larger cities like Hammond or Gary.
Whiting outperformed several larger municipalities
Though considerably smaller than many Lake County communities, Whiting posted an 18.28% turnout rate, placing it among the county’s stronger-performing municipalities.
Only 556 ballots were cast citywide, but proportionally, Whiting outperformed several communities with far larger voter bases.
Much of Lake County clustered near the county average
Several municipalities landed near the countywide turnout mark of 16%, illustrating how widespread voter disengagement remained across much of the region.
That middle tier included Merrillville, Munster, East Chicago, Griffith, Crown Point, Gary, Winfield, and Hobart.
Gary finished slightly above the county average
Despite having one of the county’s largest voter rolls, Gary posted a turnout rate slightly above the county average at 17%.
More than 8,400 voters cast ballots across the city’s six council districts, giving Gary one of the county’s largest raw vote totals during the May primary election.
Turnout varied sharply across the city. Precincts voting at Marquette United Methodist Church in District 1 posted the county’s highest voter participation rate, with turnout surpassing 30%. Meanwhile, several precincts in the city’s 5th and 6th districts struggled to reach double-digit turnout.
Merrillville generated one of the county’s largest vote totals
More than 4,700 voters cast ballots in Merrillville, giving the town one of the county’s highest raw vote totals despite turnout remaining below 18%.
East Chicago and Crown Point finished near county average
East Chicago posted a 16.43% turnout rate, while Crown Point finished at 16%.
Despite different demographics and political dynamics, both municipalities landed remarkably close to the county average.
Munster, Griffith and Hobart clustered tightly together
Turnout rates in Munster, Griffith, and Hobart differed by less than a percentage point.
Munster posted a 16.48% turnout rate, Griffith recorded 16.27%, and Hobart finished at 15.63%.
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Cedar Lake, Lowell, and Winfield remained near the middle of county rankings
Cedar Lake posted a 14.7% turnout rate, while Winfield reached 15.7%.
Neither municipality significantly outperformed or underperformed broader county turnout trends.
Several urban municipalities struggled to draw voters
Some of Lake County’s weakest turnout numbers came from its largest urban communities, even with several consequential races appearing on the ballot.
Hammond generated the county’s most ballots cast despite weak turnout
Hammond, the county’s most populated city, recorded one of the county’s lowest turnout percentages at 11.91%.
Nearly a dozen of Hammond’s precincts had voter turnout percentage in the single digits, contributing to the city’s low voter turnout.
Lake Station recorded the county’s lowest turnout
No municipality analyzed posted a lower turnout rate than Lake Station.
Only 841 of the city’s 8,096 registered voters cast ballots, resulting in a turnout rate of just 10.39%.
Lowell fell below the county average, with fewer than 2,500 of its roughly 16,000 registered voters casting a ballot in the May primary. Turnout was relatively consistent across the town’s 13 precincts, with none topping 20%. Voting at the Lake County Highway Department was the lone standout at 19.34%.
