The national and statewide results are in and Illinois Senator Barack Obama was elected the next president of the United States with Delaware Senator Joe Biden as vice president.

But how did people in our neck of the woods vote in the 2008 general election?

At all nine polling places in the Smyrna-Clayton area, a majority of voters preferred Obama for president over Arizona Senator John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Out of a combined total of 15,807 votes cast for president at local polling places, Obama and Biden received 9,334 votes (59 percent), while McCain and Palin pulled in 6,284 (39.8 percent). The remaining 1.2 percent went to third party candidates.

Among the local polling places, the highest percentage margin for Obama came at the Levin Center in downtown Smyrna. Obama received 77.7 percent of the vote to McCain’s 21.2 percent at this location.

The closest polling was at Freewill Baptist Church north of Smyrna, near Townsend. At this location, Obama pulled in 51.5 percent of the vote to McCain’s 46.8 percent.

Of all the local polling sites, the most votes were cast at the Kenton Ruritan Club – 3,215.

Local results by polling place*:

Clayton Elementary School
(districts 9-8, 10-8, 11-8 and 12-8)  
    Obama: 828 votes (58 percent)
    McCain: 571 votes (40 percent)
    1,428 total votes

Blackbird Community Center
(district 8-8)
    Obama: 496 votes (58.9 percent)
    McCain: 333 votes (39.5 percent)
    842 total votes

Freewill Baptist Church, Townsend
(district 9-9)  
    Obama: 479 votes (51.5 percent)
    McCain: 435 votes (46.8 percent)
    930 total votes

Levin Center, Smyrna
(district 1-28)  
    Obama: 525 votes (77.7 percent)
    McCain: 143 votes (21.2 percent)
    676 total votes

Smyrna Middle School
(districts 2-28, 3-28 and 4-28) 
    Obama: 1,312 votes (61.5 percent)
    McCain: 795 votes (37.3 percent)
    2,132 total votes

Sunnyside Elementary School
(district 5-28) 
    Obama: 1,442 votes (59.8 percent)
    McCain: 949 votes (39.3 percent)
    2,413 total votes

Leipsic Fire Hall
(districts 6-28,7-28 and 8-28) 
    Obama: 701 votes (53.4 percent)
    McCain: 604 votes (46 percent)
    1,313 total votes

Kenton Ruritan Club
(district 1-29) 
    Obama: 1,785 votes (55.5 percent)
    McCain: 1,392 votes (43.3 percent)
    3,215 total votes

Cheswold Fire Hall
(district 2-29) 
    Obama: 1,766 votes (61.8 percent)
    McCain: 1,062 votes (37.2 percent)
    2,858 total votes

    *The districts for each polling place are identified by two numbers: election district followed by representative district.
    These local polling place numbers were compiled based on the results posted on the Delaware Commissioner of Elections website.
    Results compiled by Seth Clevenger, Sun-Times staff writer