Local races, state amendments drive 43 percent turnout at polls

Republican supporters monitored Tuesday evening's race results from a republican watch party at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, hosted by Republican incumbent for U.S. Congress, Blaine Luetkemeyer.
Republican supporters monitored Tuesday evening's race results from a republican watch party at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, hosted by Republican incumbent for U.S. Congress, Blaine Luetkemeyer.

He had predicted a 34 percent voter turnout, but things went better than expected Tuesday for Cole County Clerk Marvin Register.

Unofficial results showed 43.79 percent of registered voters came to the polls Tuesday. That's 23,171 ballots cast out of 52,916 registered voters.

"Can you believe it," Register said. "Actually, I'm not surprised by the numbers. When I saw how many were coming out in the morning, I knew my prediction would be blown out of the water."

This was Register's last election as county clerk. He chose not to run for re-election and will turn the office over to Republican Steve Korsmeyer who defeated Democrat Susan Cook in the race for clerk.

"We had no major problems so it was great for a final election," he said. "It feels good."

Poll workers reported seeing heavier turnout than previously expected throughout Tuesday. At the Community Christian Church on Ellis Boulevard, which operates as the Ward 5, Precinct 4 polling place, Jerry Kemple, poll official, said turnout started to speed up a bit around 10 a.m. Before that, just under 100 votes were submitted.

At the Capital City Christian Church polling site, election judge Mary Rehagan said that traffic was "busier than usual." By 2:30 p.m., more than 300 people had voted.

The poll workers at McClung Park's polling site, which operates as the Ward 5, Precinct 1 and 2 polling place, said that voting was going smoothly when asked at about 11 a.m.

"There's a very good turnout so far," poll worker Helen Lock said.

The first precinct in Ward 3 often is one with a lower turnout than other parts of the city.

But the first five hours of voting Tuesday morning, 301 ballots had been cast at a location that sometimes struggles to count that many votes in an entire day.

And Janice Webb, supervisor of the Miller Performing Arts Center polling place, said Ward 2, Precinct 1 voters were very prepared for Tuesday's election and exceeding turnout expectations.

"It is very good, above average for this precinct," Webb said.

Amendments

Opportunities to make changes to the Missouri Constitution drew many to the polls Tuesday, including Don Luebbert.

"I just moved into the area from Osage County, so I didn't know as much about the local races," Luebbert said. "But there were changes to the Constitution I wanted to see happen. I'm not happy with the way things have been going."

Luebbert said he wasn't pleased to see the governor withhold funds to the state agencies without the Legislature's permission.

"If the funds are allocated and stipulated, he has no business withholding funds," he said.

And he was supportive of an effort to reform the public schools with Amendment 3.

"We don't have a very good system lately," Luebbert said.

But others didn't share Luebbert's support of Amendment 3.

Peggy Palmer said her opposition to Amendment 3 stemmed from her family of educators.

"I have brothers and sisters-in-law, a father and a daughter-in-law who all work in education," Palmer said. "Teachers have a tough time right now."

Palmer said those who support the amendment are not involved in the classrooms themselves and may not understand how accountable teachers already are.

"I think this is an amendment that does not need to pass," Palmer said.

Marvin Phillips said trying to base teacher pay on the grades and test scores of students is what turned him against the amendment.

"You're only as good as the students; teachers may be trying hard, but sometimes the students just don't try," Phillips said.

Brock Van Loo agreed, adding that all students are different and teachers' raises should not be based on student performance.

"It could be stacked up by, say, a principal who didn't like a certain teacher and they'd put all the bad students in that class and then put all the good students in somebody else's classroom," Van Loo said.

Bob Bolt said he came out Tuesday primarily to vote against all four amendments.

"I like the idea of passing bills and laws, but to try and put something new in the Constitution is poor governance," Bolt said.

Campaign advertising

Campaign advertising also had an effect on voters Tuesday, with many saying they did not like seeing the negative advertising.

Phillips said some of the advertising, especially in the race for circuit court judge, was "a little overkill." He said he believes candidates should make more positive statements about what they would do in office, instead of pointing out current inefficiencies.

"I consider myself an informed voter, and I don't need to be hit over the head on an issue," Phillips said. "There was a lot of negativity."

Catherine Moreland said she was offended by the influx of cash into the race for circuit court judge.

"I don't like to see money coming in from Washington, D.C. That was a red flag to me. I thought: "That's not good.' I was also disappointed that (Brian) Stumpe failed to appear at two public forums," she said.

Bolt said he's heard Patricia Joyce is a good circuit court judge and he doesn't know much about her opponent Stumpe, other than Stumpe outspent Joyce "by like five to one."

He said the negative ads he saw likely would not help Stumpe.

"The ads that I saw against Pat Joyce were very inflammatory and misleading," Bolt said. "Foreign money and bad advertising may have a bad effect on the outcome."

Stephanie Dubus said her main interest in the election was the circuit court judge's race and cited ads promoting Stumpe as helping inform her decision.

"I went to school with Stumpe, so of course he got my vote today," she said. "I don't like Joyce. I don't like some of the choices she's made."

She cited a case in which pro-Stumpe ads have criticized Joyce for being soft on sex offenders, adding that it's a big issue for her because she has children.

Joyce overturned a law requiring sex offenders to move away from schools/churches. She ruled that it is unconstitutional because it retroactively punishes sex offenders.

The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously upheld her decision.

Related:

Area election results at MidMoElections.com

Additional election news coverage