A "massive amount" of write-ins caused the Miller County clerk's office to have an election night that went past 10 p.m., said Clinton Jenkins, the county clerk.
The county reported a 14.73 percent voter turnout. Of three uncontested races - Kaiser road commissioner, Iberia Ward 1 alderman, Eldon Ward 1 alderman - there were 49 write-in candidates. With that many write-in candidates, Jenkins said his office had "hoops to jump through" to enter them all into the computer system. A technician was on site to assist them, but he said that is standard for all elections.
Jason Ling took the write-in race for Kaiser road commissioner. Wayne Moreland, write-in for Iberia Ward 1 alderman, earned 33 percent of the write-ins, and Larry LaDuke received 60 percent of the votes for Eldon Ward 1 alderman.
In contested races, Larry Henderson came out on top in the Eldon mayoral race, with 492 (68.9 percent) of the 714 total votes. Incumbent Ronald Bly came in next with 142 votes (20.87 percent), and Gene Bauer received 72 votes (10.08 percent). In Eldon's 3rd Ward, Derek Nelson defeated Kim Knopf by five votes, 81-76.
Eldon voters said "no" to all three propositions. Proposition 1 would have eliminated the position of elected marshal and collector and established a chief of police and collector. Proposition 2 would have allowed the city to collect 86 cents for every $100 of Eldon property to support its roads, and Proposition 3 would have discontinued the sales tax collection on vehicles purchased outside of Missouri.
The Lake Ozark Ward 2 alderman race was won by Dennis Klautzer. He defeated Lawrence Buschjost with 59 percent of the votes. Vernon Jaycox earned 62 percent of the votes among Lake Ozark Ward 3 voting residents to be named its alderman. Paul Faulconer won the Lake Ozark Fire Director's race, beating Jeffery McCleary 178-94.
Incumbent Penny Lyons lost her seat as the Osage Beach mayor to John Olivarri. Among Miller County and Camden County voters, Olivarri received 324 votes and Lyons took 221. John Berry beat Gloria O'Keefe in the Osage Beach collector's race, 277-213.
Voters in Miller and Camden counties elected incumbents Barbara (B.J.) Page (723 votes) and Dale Law (658 votes) to the Osage R-2 School Board over challenger Laura (Grabowski) Parrin (410 votes).
In the St. Elizabeth R-4 School District, Jacob Kliethermes (30.83 percent), Andy Oligschlaeger (28.76 percent) and Dana Kemna (20.73 percent) won seats on the school board. Louis Gregoire (98 votes, 41.7 percent) and Alisha Cline (96 votes, 40.85 percent) took spots on the Miller R-3 School Board over Nathan Phillips (40 votes, 17.09 percent).
Other results:
• Iberia R-5 Proposition: 280, yes (51.38 percent), 265, no (48.62 percent) - failed to get 57 percent majority
• Miller ambulance question: 1,447, yes (71.39 percent), 580, no (28.61 percent)
• Village of Olean board members, both unopposed to fill two seats: Rebecca Kehr 46.67 percent, Larry Greaser 33.33 percent
• Village of Tuscumbia board member, both unopposed to fill two seats: Gerald Rush 52.78 percent, Roger Edwards 38.89 percent
• Lake Ozark Alderman, Ward 1: Patricia Ann Thompson, 50 votes (96.15 percent)
• Lake Ozark Alderman, Ward 3 (two-year term): Gerry Murawski, 40 votes (94.44 percent)
• Lake Ozark Alderman, Ward 3 (one-year term): Vernon Jaycox, 32 votes (62 percent), Jennifer VanDonsel-Santoyo, 26 votes (36 percent)
• Osage Beach Alderman, Ward 1: Kevin Rucker, 143 votes (99.28 percent)
• Iberia Alderman, Ward 2: Nathan Duncan, 40 votes (95.24 percent)
• Eldon Alderman, Ward 2: Sharon Cole, 238 votes (93.33 percent)
See additional Mid-Missouri election results in our Politics section.