By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Very light turnout today for a light General Municipal Election ballot with one high-profile item to be decided.

Buchanan County Clerk Mary Baack-Garvey predicted a 40% voter turnout, but by 3pm, polling place officials reported only a 15% turnout so far.

“It’s very low compared to what I thought it was going to be,” Baack-Garvey tells St. Joseph Post. “I was still hoping we would hit 40%.  Now, it’s looking like we may not even hit 20% at this rate.”

Voters in the St. Joseph school district will decide a 61-cent tax levy increase which school officials say is necessary to attract and retain quality teachers. St. Joseph school board members will also be chosen, as well as other issues throughout the county.

Buchanan County poll workers reported slightly more than 4,000 voters cast ballots by 11 o’clock this morning, or 8.3% of the registered voters. By 3pm, 7,626 voters cast ballots, or 15.1%. Buchanan County has 50,642 registered voters.

Baack-Garvey is at a loss to explain the light turnout so far.

“The weather is great outside. Everybody has an election in the county to go vote on,” Baack-Garvey says. “I really don’t know why, maybe lack of interest or maybe people haven’t voted yet. They are still at work. So maybe there’s still hope.”

There is still time. Polls don’t close until 7 this evening.

“I highly recommend you get out there and voice your opinion on that ballot,” Baack-Garvey says. “This is your one time to have an opinion and it’s your right to vote and I wish everybody would get out there and do that.”