Turnout exceeds forecast in Boone County

Voter turnout beat projections in Boone County but failed to meet the forecast in Cole County.

Nearly 20 percent of registered Boone County voters cast ballots in the municipal and school district elections Tuesday, exceeding the approximately 15 percent predicted this week by Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon. Out of the county’s 108,510 registered voters, 21,575 cast ballots.

Boone County ballots included major races in Columbia for mayor and school board as well as tax levy increases for Southern Boone Public Schools and the Southern Boone Fire Protection District.

The Columbia mayoral race drew more than 16,000 votes. But the numbers were lower than in 2016, when Mayor Brian Treece first won election. That year turnout countywide was nearly 26 percent and the mayoral race drew more than 17,000 votes.

In Cole County, a little more than 15 percent of the county’s 51,553 registered voters cast ballots. County Clerk Steve Korsmeyer had predicted turnout of about 19 percent, but said Tuesday that the turnout would likely not reach that forecast. The total beat last April’s turnout in Cole County, where about 10 percent of voters cast ballots.

Like Columbia, Jefferson City voters were also selecting a mayor and school board members Tuesday. And in the Blair Oaks School District voters turned out at about 30 percent to approve a bond issue to build a new high school and a tax increase to pay for staffing the new building.

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