Alabama voters turned out in record numbers for Tuesday’s midterms, according to Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill.

Nearly 50 percent of eligible voters showed up to the polls, with a total of more than 1.7 million votes being cast.

“I think people felt compelled to participate because they wanted their voices heard,” Merrill said. “When election day came, they went out and expressed their opinions.”

Merrill noted that the percentage of voters who turned out was not record-breaking, but that there were 300,000 more votes cast than in any preceding midterm election.

Merrill added that the election turned out much the way forecasters had speculated.

“Things pretty much went the way polls said they would go,” Merrill said. “Participation is what everyone was surprised with.”

Though the election was not without issues, Merrill was pleased with the way things shaped up.

“You always have some issues,” Merrill said. “But those minor concerns were addressed before the end of the day.”

Along with celebrating the high number of votes cast and the relative ease of the process, Merrill said that he was “honored” to be re-elected to his post as Alabama’s Secretary of State, a position he has held since 2015.