Pomona race leading election interest

Voter turnout was slow but steady this morning — depending on where you live.

In Pomona, where two candidates are vying for mayor and five candidates are competing for just two council seats, the turnout so far this morning had been heavier than usual, Dixie Soper, election judge, said.

“It’s a little more than in the normal spring election,” she said. “It’s strictly the city council race that has created the interest.”

As of 8:20 a.m., 24 people had voted at the Pomona Community Building, 219 W. A St., she said.

In Ottawa’s 8th Precinct, turnout so far had been what officials expected, Cathy McClay, supervising judge, said.

“It’s low, which is not real unusual for this type of election,” she said, adding that as of 8:30 a.m., 30 people had cast their votes.

Ottawa voters will pick three candidates for both the school board and city commission, with each race having six hopefuls.

“I think things will pick up later in the day,” McClay, who oversees voting at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 401 W. 13th St., said.

Donna Eichenberger, Appanoose election judge, said turnout was slow this morning for those voting in the West Franklin School Board election.

“It’s been very light,” Eichenberger, who oversees voting at Appanoose Elementary School, 600 Shawnee Road, Pomona, said.

With the exception of a few city council races, many of today’s election winners will be write-ins, uncontested or will be winners who faced little opposition.

A lack of candidates will leave some positions on the Lane, Princeton and Rantoul city councils and the Lane mayoral position up to write-in votes.

The Pomona and Wellsville city councils and Ottawa city commission and school board will be the most contested races in today’s election.

Only 215 out of about 17,100 registered voters in Franklin County voted in advance, a courthouse official said. That number excludes mail-in votes in today’s mail.

Polls will remain open throughout the county until 7 p.m. today.

For profiles on election candidates, go to www.ottawaherald.com/election. Check The Herald’s Web site tonight for election results as they become available.  

 Jenalea Myers can be e-mailed at jmyers@ottawaherald.com.