The special primary election last week to replace the late Rep. Donald Payne was expected to see a light turnout, and indeed, not many showed up.

As of Thursday with virtually all votes counted, 28,708 ballots were in the books, or just 5.6% of the registered voters on the 10th congressional district. That was 8.9% of all registered Democrats and Republicans, with more than nine in 10 of them Democrats, given the Republican primary was uncontested.

The votes were enough to select Lamonica McIver, the Newark City Council president, as the Democratic nominee in a special September election to finish out Payne’s term. Separately, McIver was picked afterward by Democratic party leaders to also run in the Nov. 5 general election to the serve the next full term, starting in 2025.