Clerk, candidates predict low election-day turnout

Despite a contested mayor's race in the city of Cape Girardeau, only one out of every four registered voters in the county is expected go to the polls in Tuesday's election.

Rodney Miller, Cape Girardeau County clerk, estimated that 25 percent of the county's 48,918 registered voters -- or about 12,230 individuals -- may go to the polls.

"I think it will be a typical April election. If we get up to 25 percent, we are thinking that will be a pretty good turnout," said Miller, the county's chief elections officer.

Miller said the total number of voters could be inflated. Some on the rolls no longer live here but can't be purged because of federal motor-voter law requirements that keep them on for two federal elections or four years.

The polls will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. at the county's 37 voting precincts. Voters in Brown Owl Precinct will vote in the maintenance building at Cape Girardeau County Park North rather than the Missouri Conservation Department building in the park.

Otherwise, there are no changes in polling places, Miller said.

School races

Besides a mayoral race and two council races in the city of Cape Girardeau, there are several school board races in the county. Voters in Oak Ridge will decide the fate of a sewer bond issue, and a 10-cent tax hike measure is on the ballot in the Whitewater Fire Protection District. A few seats, including a seat on the Old Appleton Board of Trustees and Delta Ward 2 alderman, will be dependent on write-in candidates.

The election will cost taxpayers about $38,000.

Whether turnout will top 25 percent could depend on voter participation in the city of Cape Girardeau, where more than half of the registered voters live.

There's the mayoral race between Jay Knudtson and Melvin Gateley. There are two city council races, too, but the mayor's race is expected to be the bigger draw, Miller said.

But even the mayor candidates are being realistic about turnout. Knudtson said his campaign is targeting 6,200 likely voters who have participated in recent elections.

He estimates that only about 5,000 of the 25,638 city voters will go to the polls on Tuesday.

Gateley is hoping for as many as 8,000 voters to cast ballots, a 31 percent turnout in the city, but he admits turnout could be much lower.

Gateley said he hoped the resurgence of patriotism in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks would generate a renewed commitment to vote.

"I was hoping that would carry over into the elections," he said.

But so far there's been little evidence that's the case. Only 10 percent of the city's voters turned out for February's mayoral primary.

"The major thing is to convince people that it is worth the time to go vote and they have a responsibility as citizens," Gateley said.

More than 9,400 voters, or 51 percent at that time, turned out eight years ago in the last contested mayoral race. Gateley lost to Al Spradling III in that contest by a 56-to-44 percent margin.

Knudtson said the high turnout back then had less to do with the candidates than with a statewide ballot issue on riverboat gambling.

"That was terribly controversial," he said.

Like Gateley, Knudtson hopes people will get out and vote on Tuesday.

But he's realistic. Knudtson knows there are plenty of voters who won't vote.

"You have to understand that people are very busy," he said. "Unless they are personally involved, their sense of urgency isn't as great as it should be."

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123