Absentee voting augurs well for Vernon County's turnout

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Get ready for an exuberant demonstration of grassroots government in action because Vernon County is apparently poised for a whopping Election Day turnout.

Months on end of multimedia local, regional, statewide and national politicking promise a Nov. 6 crescendo like the finale of a Fourth of July fireworks show with local races, state senate and congressional contests, the rock 'em, sock 'em Akin-McCaskill U.S. Senate race and the high profile presidential showdown.

Forecasting a 75- to 80-percent turnout of Vernon County's 12,065 registered voters, County Clerk Tammy Beach said Thursday that she had issued 443 absentee ballots, a relatively large number at this point, for people verifying they are incapacitated or will be traveling on the day of decision.

"Absentee voting will pick up as we get closer to the election," Beach said.

Noting that 6,715 people voted in the off-year election here two years ago and 8,973 in 2008, she said interest in the outcome between President Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will boom participation in the local races for sheriff, public administrator and southern county commissioner.

Beach reported impaneling all 64 election judges with two Democrats and two Republicans at each one of the 16 polling places from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6. "Not many people would sit there for 13 or 14 hours for $7.25 an hour," she said.

"They get there at 5 or 5:30 a.m. and then the supervisory judges deliver the equipment back to the courthouse. A lot were here with (former clerk) Wava Halcomb before I became clerk in January 2003."

Incumbent Democratic Sheriff Ron Peckman is facing GOP challenger Jason Mosher while Democratic incumbent Public Administrator Tammy Bond is challenged by Republican nominee Clay Lyons Jr. and Republican Everett Wolfe and Democrat Jill Couch will vie for the commissioner's seat.

Either Drexel Democrat Charlie Burton or Lamar Republican Ed Emery will become the new 31st District state senator in Jefferson City.

District 4 Republican U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Harrisonville is opposed by Democrat Teresa Hensley, the Cass County prosecutor.

Statewide races other than St. Louis Congressman Todd Akin's Republican challenge of Democratic incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill include Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon vs. Republican Dave Spence, Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder vs. Democrat Susan Montee, Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster vs. Republican Ed Martin, Republican Secretary of State nominee Shane Schoeller vs. Democrat Jason Kander and incumbent Democratic State Treasurer Clint Zweifel vs. Republican Cole McNary.

Vernon County Democratic Committeewoman Phyllis Sprenkle agrees with Beach that the presidential race will drive local turnout rather than, as is often the case in less glitzy years, spirited local races powering area and statewide contests.

"It was a real high turnout in 2008 and I think we'll have the same thing this year," Sprenkle said.

"There is a lot of interest and lots of work going on to get the vote out. People are tired of all the ads and phone calls, but when you're out talking to them you find they plan on voting. The main thing is trying to supply information and facts and dispel some of the horrific things out there that are false."

Asked which major party a strong turnout will most help, Sprenkle said, "I'm not sure, but it's always a good thing for people to get out and express themselves by voting."

Assessing her candidates' efforts, Sprenkle said Sheriff Peckman "has run a good office and has a lot of support.

"Ron has been part of a couple of activities at our party headquarters that were well-attended," she said.

Sprenkle said Bond "has proved herself a compassionate, competent public administrator.

"Tammy has campaigned door to door and met all the voters she could," she said. "A lot of people don't know what the public administrator does, so we are trying to inform the public."

Bond said recently that Vernon County's next public administrator will be guardian or conservator of 105 people with debilitating mental illnesses or developmental limitations, elderly people with no relatives to help make decisions, minors with estates that must be managed by someone other than a parent and incapacitated people involved in disputes.

Sprenkle described an element of uncertainty in the candidacies of Couch and Wolfe, who want to succeed retiring Republican Southern Commissioner Kennon Shaw.

"Jill is working hard to get information out, but either one of them will have a huge learning curve because neither has any previous experience (in county government)," said Sprenkle. "The voters have to look at something other than their records on that point, like personal qualities. I feel certain Jill (a retired elementary school teacher and grant writer) will work hard at the job."

Republican County Chairman Jerry Wadel said Mosher is a strong candidate for sheriff whose appearances at party events have bolstered his chances. "The people I talk to about the election always speak favorably of Jason," Wadel said.

"The election looks pretty good for him. He has made a good case for his candidacy and why he would be a good person to have in the office."

Wadel said Lyons "has a shot because he has been doing quite a lot of work under the radar" to be elected public administrator. "Clay and Jason have been at two local committee meetings at different locations," he said.

"I know Everett personally and I think he would be a good commissioner. The things commissioners do are things he has been involved in over the years. He'd listen to the facts and make good decisions."

Wadel referred to Wolfe's experience as assistant manager of Producers Grain in Nevada, chairman of the Coal Township Board of Trustees and president of Western Vernon County Rural Water District No. 7.

The GOP chairman said his candidates will be helped by the presidential contest, which pollsters say Romney should win in Missouri. "The turnout for the presidential race will be Republican and that will give the local candidates a bit of added momentum," Wadel said.

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