Views from the Linn County Auditor

When you look at this rationally, it makes no sense...

On February 13th, Linn County voters approved a school infrastructure local option tax (SILO).  Yes = 17,286 and No = 12,333.  Total votes cast = 29,619.

Today, we will elect 36% of the school board members, i.e., 24 of the 67 directors.  The total votes cast is likely to be less than 5,000.

Does it make sense that 17,286 voters chose to increase our sales tax and 5,000 voters chose the school board members who will decide how the taxes will be spent? 

School election - 3pm voter turnout

At 1:30pm, Rick Sampson of KMRY interviewed me regarding the low voter turnout.  When he broadcast his report, he used the word "abysmal" to describe the voter turnout.

As I've been touring the polling places, I've asked the poll workers for ideas on how to increase voter turnout for school elections.  Do you think there's a problem?  If yes, what is the solution?  Please comment.  --Joel @ 4:53pm

REGULAR SCHOOL ELECTION				9/11/2007
	LAST '06	CURRENT
PRECINCT	3:00 PM	3:00 PM
03-Hope Lutheran	17	19
04-Czech Museum	5	9
05-IC Church	3	2
06- Library	7	7
07-AOB	14	8
08-New Creation	2	3
09-Van Buren	23	14
10-Moose	4	2
11-Cleveland	24	21
12-Coolidge	46	34
13-Gloria Dei	31	24
14-Truman	15	26
15-Hoover	9	14
16-Madison	17	22
17-Taft	17	19
18-St James	27	19
19-Time Check	20	14
20-Harrison	30	23
21- Day Care	15	17
22- Taylor	13	13
23-Oakland Church	51	55
24- Pierce	44	63
25-Wright	31	32
26-Arthur	23	25
27-Harding	23	20
28-Kenwood	8	6
32-Nixon	17	12
33-New Covenant	18	24
34-Options	8	7
35-Johnson	19	14
36-Polk	8	14
37-Isaac Newton	10	12
38-Faith United Meth	14	13
39-Franklin	38	39
40-Washington	23	41
41-Bethany	62	82
42-Ambroz	20	26
43-St Stephen's	30	33
44-Monroe	30	30
45-Erskine	40	67
46-Community of Christ	18	15
47-Gibson	13	17
BT Bertram Church	10	9
CL - Stoney Pt Y	9	7
FY - Palo Comm. Ctr	10	11
HW1- Hiawatha Comm.	17	5
HW2- Hope United	16	19
MN1- Blair Ridge	16	11
RB - Robins	15	10
SQ -Grace Baptist	8	7
CR TOTAL	988	1036
80800		1.282%
	LAST	CURRENT
PRECINCT	3:00	3:00
AL1- Alburnett Fire	94	50
AL2- Church of Christ	39	57
AL TOTAL	133	107
2435		4.39%
CPU1 - City Hall	21	24
CPU2 - Urbana CommCtr	13	7
CPU TOTAL	34	31
3940		0.79%
CENTRAL CITY	44	34
1925		1.77%
COLLEGE 1- Prairie HS	13	34
COLLEGE 2- Ely Lib	10	16
COLLEGE 3- Fairfax	24	93
COLLEGE 4- Swisher	9	27
CG TOTAL	56	170
13541		1.26%
LINN-MAR 1(mr city)	277	165
LINN-MAR 2(cr city/rb)	125	97
LINN-MAR 3(co)	43	29
LM TOTAL	445	291
22516		1.29%
LISBON	22	52
2086		2.49%
MARION	272	112
8141		1.38%
MT VERNON	201	228
4320		5.28%
NORTH-LINN 1- Walker	10	16
NORTH-LINN 2- NL High	11	14
NORTH-LINN 3- Coggon	38	27
NL TOTAL	59	57
2345		2.43%
SPRINGVILLE	23	41
1680		2.44%
N/O= Not Open
TOTAL COUNTY	2211	2159
143729		1.502%

School election - 11am voter turnout results less than 1% overall

Before noon, I visited five polling places to meet the poll workers and check on voter turnout.  I hope to post photos of the poll workers tomorrow. 

Even though each of the 11 school districts has at least one contested race, the overall voter turnout is less than 1%.   In CR-10, NO one had voted as of the 11am.  Some of the polling places did not open until Noon.  --Joel @ 12:40pm

REGULAR SCHOOL ELECTION			9/11/2007
		Last '06	CURRENT
PRECINCT	BLDG PHONE	11:00 AM	11:00 AM
03-Hope Lutheran	365-3999	12	12
04-Czech Museum	362-8500	4	5
05-IC Church	298-9769	2	2
06- Library	398-5145	2	5
07-AOB	892-5300	5	6
08-New Creation	396-3491	1	2
09-Van Buren	558-2377	13	11
10-Moose	396-4634	4	0
11-Cleveland	558-2463	15	17
12-Coolidge	558-2167	27	19
13-Gloria Dei	396-2641	16	15
14-Truman	558-2375	8	9
15-Hoover	558-2369	4	7
16-Madison	558-2473	11	17
17-Taft	558-2243	6	12
18-St James	363-3119	14	13
19-Time Check	286-5799	7	9
20-Harrison	558-2269	22	16
21- Day Care	892-5700	11	11
22- Taylor	558-2477	7	10
23-Oakland Church	393-7399	24	32
24- Pierce	558-2373	23	36
25-Wright	558-2278	11	19
26-Arthur	558-2249	8	10
27-Harding	558-2254	15	14
28-Kenwood	398-5623	4	4
32-Nixon	377-6600	9	9
33-New Covenant	393-2438	14	10
34-Options	378-8197	5	6
35-Johnson	558-2188	6	11
36-Polk	395-0021	7	8
37-Isaac Newton	892-5800	4	7
38-Faith United Meth	558-2174	11	9
39-Franklin	558-2475	22	16
40-Washington	362-9512	9	15
41-Bethany	363-8454	33	40
42-Ambroz	558-2452	11	15
43-St Stephen's	558-2226	18	21
44-Monroe	364-6026	15	21
45-Erskine	558-2467	26	37
46-Community of Christ	364-2637	7	2
47-Gibson	558-2176	6	10
BT Bertram Church	558-2364	5	8
CL - Stoney Pt Y	393-5154	6	6
FY - Palo Comm. Ctr	558-2920	6	6
HW1- Hiawatha Comm.	393-9348	10	2
HW2- Hope United	393-2400	9	13
MN1- Blair Ridge	393-3900	7	7
RB - Robins	393-0588	8	5
SQ -Grace Baptist	377-9448	3	2
CR TOTAL		533	599
80800		0.007	0.741%
		LAST	CURRENT
PRECINCT		11:00	11:00
AL1- Alburnett Fire	842-2692	N/O	N/O
AL2- Church of Christ	393-5502	N/O	N/O
AL TOTAL			0
2435		3.06%	0.00%
CPU1 - City Hall	849-1508	13	N/O
CPU2 - Urbana CommCtr	443-2400	6	N/O
CPU TOTAL		19	0
3940		0.48%	0.00%
CENTRAL CITY	438-1713	N/O	N/O
1925		0.00%	0.00%
COLLEGE 1- Prairie HS	848-5340	7	21
COLLEGE 2- Ely Lib	848-7616	8	11
COLLEGE 3- Fairfax	846-2994	9	48
COLLEGE 4- Swisher	857-4539	5	16
CG TOTAL		29	96
13541		0.22%	0.71%
LINN-MAR 1(mr city)	377-7329	145	87
LINN-MAR 2(cr city/rb)	378-8197	72	47
LINN-MAR 3(co)	373-9834	21	21
LM TOTAL		238	155
22516		1.08%	0.69%
LISBON	455-2459	9	N/O
2086		0.41%	0.00%
MARION	377-1585	134	69
8141		1.63%	0.85%
MT VERNON	895-8742	113	104
4320		2.60%	2.41%
NORTH-LINN 1- Walker	448-4359	N/O	N/O
NORTH-LINN 2- NL High	224-3291X3	N/O	N/O
NORTH-LINN 3- Coggon	435-2593	N/O	N/O
NL TOTAL			0
2345			0.00%
SPRINGVILLE	854-6444	N/O	N/O
1680
N/O= Not Open
TOTAL COUNTY		1075	1023
143729		0.75%	0.712%