Allen Countians made their choices in a variety of city and school board elections, although what they said in some cases still won’t be known for a few days.
A plethora of races with no announced candidates means write-in ballots will decide who takes office.
And while election officials in the Allen County Clerk’s office know how many write-in votes were cast, those names won’t be announced likely until the votes are canvassed and made official next Monday.
There were three contested races decided Tuesday.
In Humboldt, the top three vote-getters — Kevin Heisler, Helen Harrington and Nathan Ellison — earned seats on the USD 258 Board of Education, from among five candidates.
The voting for USD 258 was relatively even across the board, with all five candidates receiving between 18 and 25 percent of the vote. Heisler received 309 votes, Harrington 269 and Ellison 252. Others receiving votes were Jaime Mueller, 220 votes, and Kristal Julich, 177.
Jennifer Coltrane received 82 votes to Tracy Lee’s 50 to earn a seat representing the Gas and LaHarpe areas on the USD 257 school board.
In Savonburg, Mayor Vern Cuppet Jr. edged challenger Aaron Wilson, 16 votes to 14, although county commissioners must still consider whether to count three provisional ballots. A provisional ballot is one in which a person still votes, even if his name is not on the rolls at the polling place.
The provisional ballots will be determined at Monday’s canvass, at 9 a.m. in the commissioners’ room at the courthouse.
THE WRITE-IN ballots leave several other races a mystery.
— When Iola City Councilwoman Sandy Zornes declined to run for re-election to represent Iola’s Ward 4, and nobody filed to replace her, that left a blank ballot for those voters. Thirty-two write-in votes were cast.
— Likewise, 31 write-in votes were cast for Buck Quincy’s seat on the USD 257 school board. Quincy did not file for re-election.
— Twenty-nine write-in votes were cast for Humboldt City Council’s Ward 1, Position 3.
— Chad Lawson easily won re-election to the Moran City Council, but another seat was vacant, leaving voters to cast 35 write-in votes.
— Steve Becker and Bill Bigelow were re-elected to USD 256 school board seats. The third seat will be filled from among the 126 write-in ballots.
SEVERAL uncontested races went as expected:
