While the results are not yet final, a number of trends popped up in Tuesday's election in Callaway County.
According to unofficial election results, Proposition 1 passed with 71.77 percent voting "yes," and Proposition 2 passed with 60.65 percent voting "yes." Of the voting districts in the county, all 22 saw a majority vote "yes" for Prop. 1 while 19 districts were in favor of Prop. 2.
"I am just proud of the confidence the voters had in us with these propositions," Callaway County sheriff Clay Chism said.
Prop. 1 is a half-cent sales tax to fund the ongoing needs of the Callaway County Sheriff's Department. Prop. 2 is a half-cent sales tax to fund the capital expenditures to build a new Callaway County Jail and Judicial Center, plus renovations of the existing courthouse.
Throughout the entire county, there was a 15.26 percent voter turnout with 4,320 of the county's 28,309 registered voters that participated in Tuesday's election. Williamsburg and Calwood were the only two districts with more than a 20 percent voter turnout.
Holts Summit wards 1 and 2 had the lowest voter turnout in the county with only 9.47 percent. Holts Summit's rural voting district was not far ahead with 11.43 percent participating.
The voting districts of Dixie, Shamrock, and Holts Summit wards 1 and 2 voted majority "no" on Prop. 2. Dixie voted the most heavily in opposition of the proposition with 57.81 percent voting "no." Additionally, Dixie voted 50.77 percent in favor of Prop. 1, the closest margin for the proposition in the county.
The district of Stephens voted most in favor of propositions 1 and 2, with 82.14 percent voting "yes" on Prop. 1 and 69.64 percent voting "yes" on Prop. 2.
Absentee ballots had a high percentage of voters in favor of both of the propositions. Absentee voters polled at 76.67 percent "yes" for Prop. 1 and 68.03 percent "yes" for Prop. 2.
The four voting districts in the city of Fulton averaged approximately 74.61 percent in favor of Prop. 1 and approximately 63.52 percent in favor of Prop. 2. Fulton's Ward 3 was most in favor of the two propositions while Fulton's Ward 4 was least in favor of them.
"I voted 'yes' on both of the propositions. I thought the county needed (the money), and the sheriff's (office) really needed our help as well," Fulton resident Trish Huff said.
"I think the main thing we worked on was trying to educate voters throughout the county, but clearly we have to do a better job to improve voter turnout," Presiding Callaway County Commissioner Gary Jungermann said.
Fulton's voting districts averaged approximately a 14.96 percent voter turnout. Fulton's east and west voting district had the highest among the city's districts with 15.96 percent participation while Fulton's Ward 3 had the lowest with 12.66 percent.
"I voted 'yes' on both of the propositions because I figured we in the county could profit from the county government and the sheriff's office having more money," Fulton resident Jessica Gifford said.
Among the 4,320 who voted Tuesday, six of these voters decided to only vote for Prop. 1 and elected not to vote for Prop. 2.
According to the Callaway County Clerk's office, the official election results will be made available in the coming days.
"These propositions allow us to take great strides in improving all of these issues, and many more," Chism said.