Linn County rural precincts show best turnout in low voter turnout election

CEDAR RAPIDS - Linn County's rural precincts had the strongest showing in a special election that saw voter turnout barely surpass six percent countywide.

The result was more than 71 percent of those voters opted to stick with a representation plan that has supervisors living within specific districts and each elected by the residents of their respective district.

Countywide turnout of 9,339 total votes only reached about 6.3 percent, according to unofficial voting results from the Linn County Auditor's Office.

That's more than 3,000 fewer people than signatures on the June petition that called for the special election.

'Any time we're below 10 percent turnout in any election, that's pretty pathetic no matter what the issue is,” Linn County Auditor Joel Miller said. 'I'm disappointed there wasn't a turnout, but I'm disappointed in any election when there's not a good turnout - when you have a small sliver of people making a decision for the majority.”

By comparison, more than 14 percent of voters turned out at June 2008 special election in which voters chose the current representation plan.

The two other options on Tuesday's ballot - one that would have maintained supervisors in select districts but allow countywide residents to vote for all members of the board, and an entirely at-large plan - received 15 percent and 13 percent of votes respectively.

Of the 81 Linn County polling sites, only those in the townships of Boulder, Buffalo, Jackson, Marion - the area outside Marion proper - and Otter Creek saw voter turnout surpass 10 percent. The number of registered voters in those precincts range from 365 to a little more than 1,000.

The third representation plan on the ballot - the county's current plan - received the majority of votes in all five precincts.

Votes will be canvassed next week.

Despite attempts to save money by combining a few precincts and hiring the minimum amount of poll workers at some voting sites, Miller said Tuesday's election still could cost upward of $200,000. That put's the election at more than $20 per vote, he added.

'It was a pretty expensive election,” he said. 'It's like inviting everyone to the party and nobody shows up. You went through all the preparation, you bought all the food and drinks, and now you've got all the leftovers.”

One reason for a better turnout in some rural precincts might be the $17,500 Linn County Farm Bureau spent endorsing the current representation plan, which the bureau has described as the best opportunity for rural representation on the Board of Supervisors.

'I'm kind of surprised at the turnout, but to the people of rural Linn County, they felt this was very important to make sure they took the time and go vote,” said Matt Price, president with Linn County Farm Bureau. 'I would say there was a lot more at stake for them.”

Dave Machacek of Alburnett, who 10 years ago pushed for a change from an at-large plan to the current district plan, said he believed the farm bureau's investment played a part in Tuesday's election results.

'I think farm bureau made a big difference,” he said. 'I just can't stress enough how much I think they stepped up to the plate.”

With a representation plan selected - but the Linn County set to reduce from five supervisors to three in 2019 - the county now must begin the redistricting process. That will involve mapping out the county for three districts.

Supervisors earlier this year created a temporary redistricting committee to map out districts, but later put that effort on hold to see the results of the special election.

Machacek in May was one of five residents appointed to that committee. With the election concluded, he said redistricting, which takes several months, soon can begin.

The Board of Supervisors must approve a final plan by Feb. 15 of next year, per Iowa Code.

State code also dictates that districts be divided into similar populations, and a city must be split into the smallest number of districts. That means Cedar Rapids, the county's largest city, could seat two of the county's three supervisors, with Marion picking up the bulk of the third district.

Machacek said he's hopeful the committee can find a way to split the county into three districts in a manner that provides some form of rural representation.

'It's the best we could have hoped for,” he said.

l Comments: (319) 339-3175; mitchell.schmidt@thegazette.com