Voting 'steady' at polls as residents cast ballots

Voting was steady Tuesday morning at several Cape Girardeau precincts, as residents turned out in large part to decide the fate of the hotly contested citywide smoking ban.

But voters were also weighing in on two propositions that would generate $72 million to replace the city's aging wastewater treatment plant and make other improvements to the sewer system.

Smoking ban supporters were still going door-to-door and making phone calls this morning, encouraging people to vote in favor, said Sheri House, spokeswoman for Citizens for a Smoke-Free Cape. Opponents Doc and Karen Cain of Stand Up Cape, What's Next, were out early Tuesday morning as well, putting up signs asking for no votes.

Both sides said they were optimistic voters would agree with them about the ban that would prohibit smoking in all public workplaces, including bars, restaurants, private clubs and casinos.

Laura Woldtvedt said she voted in favor of the smoking ban and both of the wastewater measures.

"I'm very much an antismoking advocate," she said, shortly after voting at the Arena Building. "And I'm always for improving my city, so that made me a yes for those two issues."

Paul Gerlach voted no on the smoking ban issue.

"I'm not a smoker," he said. "But I feel it's up to the business owner to decide what to do with their own business."

Gerlach said he reluctantly voted for both of the city issues, though he questioned the judgment of city leaders in what he saw as a problem that should have been addressed before now.

"But it seems like we really didn't have a choice," Gerlach said.

The city has said it has to build a new wastewater treatment plant to come into compliance with state and federal standards that no longer allow untreated wastewater to be bypassed into the river, which happens under the current plant about 30 to 40 times a year.

Rates will have to be increased as part of any scenario, but yes votes for both of these issues would minimize those increases, city officials have said.

Turnout has been steady at the polls, said Cape Girardeau County Clerk Kara Clark Summers. Summers predicts a 30 percent turnout of the city's registered voters and 25 countywide, which is higher than usual for an April election.

"I think it is steady and picking up, which is a good sign," Clark Summers said this morning.

The election was running fairly smoothly, she said, with the exception of two machines that weren't working properly. A machine at Precinct 1 at Red Star Baptist Church and one at city hall's Precinct 8 wouldn't accept ballots. The machine at city hall was swapped out for a new one and the one at Red Star was fixed after trouble-shooting, Clark Summers said. She said staff tests the equipment the week before the election and they all were working fine.

Still, Summers is hopeful that her 30 percent prediction -- or even better -- bears out.

"It's a pretty day," she said. "I hope we have a good turnout."

The polls are open until 7 p.m.

Check semissourian.com tonight to get live election results.

smoyers@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, MO