Did you vote on Cinco de Mayo for the school board election?
If not, you aren’t alone. Only 4.09 percent of those registered in the township did, according to the township clerk’s office.
‘The school board expected, and we expected a low turnout,? said Township Clerk Penny Shults.
Of the 23,998 voters, 981 cast ballots for returning boardmember, Jim Weidman, whose unopposed reelection was the only item on the ballot.
Early cost estimates are up this year from previous years. In Shults? estimation, this election’s price tag is at least $30,000. The 2008 and 2006 elections ran about $21,000 each.
Though switching to a November election would nearly eliminate costs, the clerk says the township and school board did not consolidate this election with the November general election because the cost to notify voters would be about equal to the savings from consolidating.
‘We may look at (switching) in the future if we can bring the costs of mailing (notifications) down,? said Shults. ‘We’re hoping they choose a November election.?
The township opened all 14 voting places and set up one absentee ballot counting board to collect ballots, though the vast majority of votes cast (809 or 82 percent) were done so by absentee ballot. The rest (172) traveled to precincts in the district.
At Wednesday’s school board meeting, elections and the budget were back on the ballot.
School Board President Bill Walters expects lengthy discussion on the issues, though he declined to comment on the election before the meeting.
Look to next week’s Review for further election coverage and school board action.