Voter turnout around 47 percent in Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Slightly fewer than half of Missouri's registered voters cast ballots in this year's general election.

Figures from the secretary of state's office show more than 1.9 million people voted Tuesday -- a turnout of nearly 47 percent.

The biggest draw was Missouri's U.S. Senate race in which Republican Roy Blunt defeated Democrat Robin Carnahan. The second largest number of votes were cast over an initiative imposing new regulations on dog breeders.

The highest voter turnout was in rural Osage County in central Missouri, where nearly 61 percent voted. The lowest was Pemiscot County in the far southeast corner of the state, where about 26 percent voted.