Contested Races, Levies Drive Voter Turnout
Voter turnout in Belmont County Tuesday was 24.5% according to figures released by the Board of Elections. A total of 10,659 votes were cast. Of these, 75 percent cast votes on election day and 25 percent either voted early or submitted absentee ballots.
Interestingly, while the turnout in western Belmont County varied by 20%, the lowest number of voters were recorded in Warren and Washington townships, both at 24 percent. Neither had contested township trustee races.
In Somerset and Wayne townships, however, turnout was 43 and 44 percent respectively where three vied for the two trustee postions.
In village races, a levy in Belmont brought out 35 percent of voters and a seven-way council contest in Bethesda drew one in three voters out to the polls, or 33 percent of the electorate.
Overall, 36 percent of Union Local voters cast ballots on the failed 2-mill permanent improvement levy.
Barnesville’s council race also drew interest but only 26 percent or slightly more than one in four voters, voted.
Most interestingly of all was the number of write-in votes cast Tuesday. Preliminary numbers indicated 1,603 write-in votes were logged. Voters in Barnesville, Bethesda and the Switzerland of Ohio School District were responsible for 53 percent of the write-ins while Shadyside and Martins Ferry citizens cast the remainder for council races in those two towns.
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