The May 6, 2014 tax proposal received clear majority support overall (70.6%) in all jurisdictions: Ann Arbor (71.4%); the city of Ypsilanti (83.4%); and Ypsilanti Township (61.6%).

Overall, the proposal from the AAATA received 70.6% votes in favor. That percentage reflects 13,949 votes in favor and 5,783 against.

The new tax, which can be levied for five years before it again needs approval by voters, is supposed to fund a five-year service improvement plan.

The tax received clear majority support in all jurisdictions: Ann Arbor (71.4%); the city of Ypsilanti (83.4%); and Ypsilanti Township (61.6%).

Across all jurisdictions, the turnout was 12.7% of registered voters. Turnout was helped by sunny weather with high temperatures in the low 60s. By jurisdiction, turnout varied a bit: Ann Arbor (14%); Ypsilanti (12.6%); and Ypsilanti Township (9.5%).

Including all cash reported under late-filing rules, the Partners for Transit millage campaign raised $54,427 in cash. The anti-millage campaign committee, which called itself Better Transit Now, accumulated $17,817 in resources, when $15,037 of in-kind contributions – in ad purchases – by McCullagh Creative are included.

The May 6, 2014 tax proposal received clear majority support overall (70.6%) in all jurisdictions: Ann Arbor (71.4%); the city of Ypsilanti (83.4%); and Ypsilanti Township (61.6%).

The clear majority achieved by the millage contrasts with a great deal of uncertainty among Ann Arbor elected officials about its prospects. Some council sources indicated they expected it to fail or else to just squeak by.

Along nearly any cut of the poll results, the transit tax gained a clear majority among voters. In Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, the proposal passed in all precincts. In Ypsilanti Township, 12 out of 14 precincts gave it majority support. In the two precincts where the proposal failed, it fell short by a total of just 14 votes with a combined tally of 173 in favor and 187 against.

Among absentee voters, the millage support was not as strong as among in-person voters, but it still achieved a clear majority. Ypsilanti did not tally absentee voters separately. But across Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Township combined, the in-person majority was 72.2% compared to 60.1% for absentee voters. In Ann Arbor, the in-person majority was 73.2% compared to 62.25% for absentee voters. The millage failed to achieve a majority among absentee voters in just one precinct two precincts in Ann Arbor (Ward 2, Precinct 9 and Ward 1, Precinct 3) – where the tallies were 43 in favor to 45 against and 1 in favor and 3 against, respectively. In Ypsilanti Township, the in-person majority was 65.8% compared to 57.4% in absentee.

The first element of the five-year service plan will be implemented in August 2014: extension of the end time for weekday fixed-route service on most of AAATA’s routes. Most routes would be extended from 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. The second element of the plan is later evening service on weekends. Service currently ends between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on most routes on Saturday, so starting in August 2014, Saturday service would be extended about an hour on all routes in the first year. And then in August 2015, service would be extended essentially on all routes to between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Saturdays.

Also included in the five-year service plan will be: greater frequency on some routes, additional routes, as well as new route configurations for some areas. Some of the improvements will need to wait 18 months, because the new buses they require will take up to 18 months to be delivered after they are ordered.

The board of the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority had voted at its Jan. 16, 2014 meeting to adopt the five-year service plan the millage. The following month, at its Feb. 20, 2014 meeting, the board voted to place the measure on the May 6 ballot.

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It’s possible that we won’t be able to collect results any earlier than the Washtenaw County clerk. But The Chronicle will post any early returns we are able to collect here in this news brief, using the following format:

8:00 p.m. 

With at least partial results from 0 of 36 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ann Arbor, the AAATA transit millage has received 0 votes (0%) in favor, and 0 votes (0%) against.

With at least partial results from 0 of 7 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ypsilanti, the AAATA transit millage has received 0 votes (0%) in favor, and 0 votes (0%) against.

With at least partial results from 0 of 14 polling locations informally reported in Ypsilanti Township, the AAATA transit millage has received 0 votes (0%) in favor, and 0 votes (0%) against.

With at least partial results from 0 of 57 polling locations informally reported across the city of Ann Arbor, the city of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township, the AAATA transit millage has received 0 votes (0%) in favor, and 0 votes (0%) against.

If you’d like to monitor directly any early results we’re able to collect, we’re using this: [shared Google Spreadsheet].

Still unofficial but formal results from the Washtenaw County clerk’s office are available on the clerk’s May 6, 2014 election results web page.

8:13 p.m.

With at least partial results from 1 of 36 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ann Arbor, the AAATA transit millage has received 479 votes (75.6%) in favor, and 154 votes (24.4%) against.

With at least partial results from 2 of 7 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ypsilanti, the AAATA transit millage has received 550 votes (83.4%) in favor, and 109 votes (16.6%) against.

8:32 p.m.

With at least partial results from 4 of 36 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ann Arbor, the AAATA transit millage has received 1554 votes (72.4%) in favor, and 592 votes (27.6%) against.

With at least partial results from 3 of 7 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ypsilanti, the AAATA transit millage has received 761 votes (82.7%) in favor, and 159 votes (17.3%) against.

With at least partial results from 7 of 57 polling locations informally reported across the city of Ann Arbor and the city of Ypsilanti, the AAATA transit millage has received 2315 votes (75.5%) in favor, and 751 votes (24.5%) against.

It’s worth noting that we have no Ypsilanti Township precincts reporting in yet, and absent voters in Ann Arbor are not yet logged.

9:00 p.m.

With at least partial results from 10 of 36 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ann Arbor, the AAATA transit millage has received 3397 votes (74.2%) in favor, and 1181 votes (25.8%) against.

With at least partial results from 4 of 7 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ypsilanti, the AAATA transit millage has received 1205 votes (83%) in favor, and 246 votes (17%) against.

With at least partial results from 1 of 14 polling locations informally reported in Ypsilanti Township, the AAATA transit millage has received 35 votes (50.7%) in favor, and 34 votes (49.3%) against.

With at least partial results from 15 of 57 polling locations informally reported across the city of Ann Arbor, the city of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township, the AAATA transit millage has received 4637 votes (76%) in favor, and 1461 votes (24%) against.

This includes no absent voter results in Ann Arbor and just one precinct from Ypsilanti Township.

9:23 p.m.

With at least partial results from 20 of 36 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ann Arbor, the AAATA transit millage has received 5469 votes (71.6%) in favor, and 2160 votes (28.4%) against.

With at least partial results from 4 of 7 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ypsilanti, the AAATA transit millage has received 1205 votes (83%) in favor, and 246 votes (17%) against.

With at least partial results from 1 of 14 polling locations informally reported in Ypsilanti Township, the AAATA transit millage has received 35 votes (50.7%) in favor, and 34 votes (49.3%) against.

With at least partial results from 25 of 57 polling locations informally reported across the city of Ann Arbor, the city of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township, the AAATA transit millage has received 6709 votes (73.3%) in favor, and 2440 votes (26.7%) against.

This does not include any absent voters in Ann Arbor and only one precinct in Ypsilanti Township.

9:48 p.m.

With at least partial results – including some absentee ballots – from 27 of 36 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ann Arbor, the AAATA transit millage has received 6957 votes (71.6%) in favor, and 2758 votes (28.4%) against.

With at least partial results from 4 of 7 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ypsilanti, the AAATA transit millage has received 1205 votes (83%) in favor, and 246 votes (17%) against.

With at least partial results from 1 of 14 polling locations informally reported in Ypsilanti Township, the AAATA transit millage has received 35 votes (50.7%) in favor, and 34 votes (49.3%) against.

With at least partial results from 32 of 57 polling locations informally reported across the city of Ann Arbor, the city of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township, the AAATA transit millage has received 8197 votes (72.9%) in favor, and 3038 votes (27.1%) against.

Note that we have early results from only one precinct in Ypsilanti Township.

10:11 p.m.

With at least partial results – including some absentee ballots – from 33 of 36 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ann Arbor, the AAATA transit millage has received 8689 votes (71.6%) in favor, and 3446 votes (28.4%) against.

With at least partial results from 4 of 7 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ypsilanti, the AAATA transit millage has received 1205 votes (83%) in favor, and 246 votes (17%) against.

With at least partial results from 9 of 14 polling locations informally reported in Ypsilanti Township, the AAATA transit millage has received 760 votes (70.5%) in favor, and 317 votes (29.5%) against.

With at least partial results from 46 of 57 polling locations informally reported across the city of Ann Arbor, the city of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township, the AAATA transit millage has received 10654 votes (72.6%) in favor, and 4009 votes (27.4%) against.

10:17 p.m.

With at least partial results – including some absentee ballots – from 35 of 36 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ann Arbor, the AAATA transit millage has received 9516 votes (71.9%) in favor, and 3715 votes (28.1%) against.

With at least partial results from 4 of 7 polling locations informally reported in the city of Ypsilanti, the AAATA transit millage has received 1205 votes (83%) in favor, and 246 votes (17%) against.

With at least partial results from 14 of 14 polling locations informally reported in Ypsilanti Township, the AAATA transit millage has received 1294 votes (66.2%) in favor, and 658 votes (33.8%) against.

With at least partial results from 53 of 57 polling locations informally reported across the city of Ann Arbor, the city of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township, the AAATA transit millage has received 12015 votes (72.2%) in favor, and 4619 votes (27.8%) against.

This was the final update for early results. One absent voter count board for Ann Arbor remains to be counted. We’ll compile graphs, maps and charts when the final unofficial numbers come in from the Washtenaw County clerk.

It appears the transit millage has achieved a clear majority.