20 PERCENT OF COUNTY VOTERS GO TO POLLS

JACKSON -- All in all, Tuesday's primary was a "typical election," Cape Girardeau County Clerk Rodney Miller said.

Only a handful of people turned out to watch election workers post returns, including several reporters and Fred Jones, the assistant superintendent of the Jackson R-2 Public Schools.

With few contested races on the ballot, Miller said he hadn't expected a high turnout. In total, 7,789 of the county's nearly 40,000 registered voters cast ballots in the primary, 19.9 percent.

In the county, 3,505 Democratic ballots were cast, while 3,962 Republican ballots were cast.

On the Democratic ticket, Max Stovall easily defeated Robert E. Meisenheimer in the race for the county commission's Second District nomination, 1,052 votes to 308. Stovall, who won 77.35 percent of the votes cast, will face incumbent Commissioner Joe Gambill in the November election.

On the Republican ticket, incumbent Public Administrator John Ferguson won his party's nomination, defeating challenger Gene C. Miller 1,893 votes to 1,316. Ferguson, who won 58.99 percent of the votes cast, will face Democrat Wanda Conrad in November.

Turnout in the out-county area was "much better than in the city of Cape Girardeau," Miller said.

The Jackson R-2 Public School District's bond issue was a factor in that turnout. The city of Cape Girardeau had only its use tax on the ballot. That issue was defeated.

As onlookers were waiting for the final vote counts, election officials did experience a minor delay when some ballots were misplaced. But all in all, the process went well, Miller said.

County voters approved Amendment 2, which would allow school districts to increase their bond debt from 10 percent of their total assessed valuation to 15 percent by 3,598 votes to 2,927.

In statewide races, Gov. Mel Carnahan won 2,668 votes, or 80.68 percent, on the Democratic ticket. Other Democrats vying for the nomination were Edwin W. Howald, 279 votes; Ruth Redel, 231 votes; and Nicholas Clement, 129 votes.

On the Republican ticket, State Auditor Margaret Kelly won 2,918 votes, or 81.81 percent of the ballots cast. Also running were John M. Swenson, 315 votes, David Andrew Brown, 221 votes and Lester W. Duggan Jr., 113 votes.

For Secretary of State, Bekki Cook won 2,625 votes, or 80,4 of the Democratic ballots cast. James J. Askew won 542 votes and V. Marvalene Pankey won 98 votes.

Winning Democratic nominations in uncontested local races were Rick R. Althaus, State Senator, 27th District; Benny Hinton, sheriff; incumbent Jerry L. Reynolds, assessor, and Wanda Conrad, public administrator.

On the Republican ballot, State Reps. David Schwab and Mary C. Kasten won their party's nomination. The two face no opposition for the November race.

Republicans in uncontested local races were incumbent Peter Kinder, State Senator, 27th District; incumbent William W. Syler, Circuit Judge; incumbent Larry Bock, County Commission, 1st District; incumbent John Jordan, sheriff; and incumbent Bill Reynolds, treasurer.

Jerry Reynolds, Bill Reynolds, Syler and Bock will face no opposition in November.