There wasn’t a lot on the primary election ballot today across Berrien County and it was pretty clearly reflected in the extremely low voter turn out registered throughout the course of the day. Other than the St. Joseph City Commission Primary which narrows the ranks for the November General Election, there were only two other communities with ballot issues today.
Voters were in a giving mood for the libraries of Berrien Springs and Three Oaks Township. Berrien Springs voters okayed the library millage by a vote of 399 to 154 while in Three Oaks Township they gave the thumbs up 212 to 41. Also on the Three Oaks Township ballot was a road and bridge millage renewal which was given the nod by a 226 to 28 tally.
In St. Joseph three incumbent city commissioners appeared on a crowded primary ballot with four challengers where the top six vote getters in today’s tally will head to the November General Election where the top three will earn seats on the City Commission.
Mayor Mike Garey was the top performer in today’s balloting with 697 votes. Joining him on the fall ballot will be fellow incumbents Mary Goff who finished second with 593 votes and Fran Chickering, who serves as Mayor Pro-Tem finishing third with 579 votes. Also making their way to the November ballot are fourth place finisher Laura Goos who garnered 448 votes to edge out Peggy Getty’s 438 votes. Rounding out the balloting were former FBI Agent Al DiBrito with 365 votes and Kimberly Jorgensen Gane who finished last with 224 votes.
The six hightest vote-getters will be placed on the ballot for the November 7, 2017 election. During the November election, you will again be allowed to vote for up to three candidates. The two candidates with the highest number of votes will receive a 4-year term while the candidate who receives the third most votes will receive a 2-year term.
St. Joe’s turnout today produced just under 19-percent of the registered voters. The turnout was light elswhere, too as in Berrien Springs with about 9.6-percent of the voting public showing up, and in Three Oaks Township a little stronger turn-out of 11.2-percent of the electorate.
(Note…an earlier version of this story incorrectly stated St. Joe’s turnout as less than 10-percent, because it had inadvertently left out the absent voter turnout. Apologies for that earlier report’s inaccuracies.)
