Well, it’s official: Obama Springs

By Diane Chiddister

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Yellow Springs voters went overwhelmingly for Democrat Barack Obama in the presidential election last Tuesday, Nov. 4, with Obama receiving 10 votes for every one vote cast for Republican John McCain. Overall, the village cast 2,084 votes for Obama, while 210 voters went for McCain.

However, in Miami Township, McCain gave Obama a run for his considerable money, and the Democrat ended up trumping the Republican by a smaller margin. In the rural township, Obama won with 443 votes, compared to 385 cast for McCain.

Third-party candidates picked up some support in the village, with Ralph Nader winning seven votes in Yellow Springs and five in the township, and Green candidate Cynthia McKinney picking up eight Yellow Springs votes and three in the township.

The Yellow Springs and Miami Township totals were not available for last week’s News due to voters’ unexpectedly high use of paper ballots, due to both a large number of voters who voted early and a higher-than-expected number who chose paper on election day. According to Greene County Board of Election Director Tracy Smith this week, in the county about 21,000 voters cast their ballots early and 13,000 chose paper ballots on election day. Election workers began counting absentee ballots first thing last Tuesday morning, finishing at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday. Workers at midnight Tuesday then worked straight through the night counting paper ballots cast on election day, finishing the paper ballot count at noon on Wednesday, Smith said.

This year marked the first presidential election in which voters were given the opportunity to vote “no-fault” absentee, according to Smith. In the past, voters could vote absentee only if they met certain requirements. Large numbers of voters took the election board up on this offer to vote early, due to concerns about long lines on election day. This was also the first presidential election in Ohio in which paper ballots were easily and clearly available at polling places, and thousands of people took advantage of the opportunity.

Yellow Springs also included 33 voters who used provisional ballots, which have not yet been added to the count, according to Smith. These were voters who had recently moved and were not yet registered in local precincts, or who did not have required identification. Provisional ballots will be counted beginning around Nov. 17, Smith said.

Shown below is the precinct breakdown for votes cast in Yellow Springs and Miami Township.

Precinct 440 consists of most of the north side of town, and precinct 441 includes the western part of Yellow Springs. Precinct 442 includes much of the central area of the village and downtown, while precinct 443 includes the south end of town.

In Miami Township, Precinct 455 consists of the eastern portion of the township, which includes residences east of Grinnell and Bryan Park Roads. Precinct 456 includes the portion of the township west of Grinnell and Bryan Park Roads and outside Yellow Springs.

Precinct 440: Obama, 617 votes, or 89.2 percent; McCain, 68
Precinct 441: Obama, 429 votes, or 92 percent; McCain, 33
Precinct 442: Obama, 513 votes, or 89.5 percent; McCain, 49
Precinct 443: Obama, 525 votes, or 85.6 percent; McCain, 80
Precinct 455: McCain, 226 votes, or 55.7 percent; Obama, 171
Precinct 456: Obama, 272 votes, or 62 percent; McCain, 159

Village voters pick Neuhardt
At least in Yellow Springs, Democrat Sharen Neuhardt stomped her Republican opponent, Steve Austria, for the U.S. House of Representatives, 7th District. Neuhardt, who lives right outside Yellow Springs on Whitehall Farm, received 1,972 votes in the village, compared to 262 votes for Austria. In Miami Township, Neuhardt won by a much narrower margin, with 413 votes for the Democrat and 385 for Austria. However, district-wide voters chose Austria, who will take the seat of retiring longtime Representative Dave Hobson. Austria received 58 percent of the district-wide vote, compared to 41 percent for Neuhardt.

Precinct 440: Neuhardt, 588 votes, or 88 percent; Austria, 77
Precinct 441: Neuhardt, 396 votes, or 89 percent; Austria, 47
Precinct 442: Neuhardt, 492 votes, or 90 percent; Austria, 54
Precinct 443: Neuhardt, 496 votes, or 85 percent; Austria, 84
Precinct 455: Austria, 232 votes, or 60 percent; Neuhardt, 154
Precinct 456: Neuhardt, 261 votes, or 63 percent; Austria, 153

Tackett beats Widener in YS
In Yellow Springs, Democrat Roger Tackett of Springfield won the race for state senate, 10th district, the seat formerly occupied by Austria. Tackett won 1,787 votes in the village, compared to 403 votes for Republican Chris Widener. In Miami Township, Widener won the race, receiving 422 votes from township voters compared to 373 votes for Tackett.

District-wide Widener won the seat, receiving 67 percent of the vote to 32 percent for Tackett.

Precinct 440: Tackett, 531 votes, or 81 percent; Widener, 123
Precinct 441: Tackett, 372 votes, or 86 percent; Widener 60
Precinct 442: Tackett, 446 votes, or 83 percent; Widener, 90
Precinct 443: Tackett, 438, or 77 percent; Widener, 130
Precinct 455: Widener, 248 votes, or 65 percent; Tackett, 133
Precinct 456: Tackett, 240 votes, or 58 percent; Widener, 174

Crockett crushes Hackett in YS
While Democrat Connie Crockett pulled off an easy victory in her hometown in her run for the seat of state representative, 84th District, she went down in defeat against Republican Robert Hackett in the district overall. Hackett received 61 percent of the vote while Crockett received 38 percent.

However, in the village Crockett was the big winner. She won 1,979 votes in Yellow Springs to Hackett’s 239 votes. She also pulled out a victory in Miami Township, winning the rural area by receiving 413 votes to Hackett’s 370.

Precinct 440: Crockett, 600 votes, or 90 percent; Hackett, 65
Precinct 441: Crockett, 399 votes, or 91 percent; Hackett, 40
Precinct 442: Crockett, 483 votes, or 90 percent; Hackett, 54
Precinct 443: Crockett, 497 votes, or 86 percent; Hackett, 79
Precinct 455: Hackett, 217 votes, or 59 percent; Crockett, 151
Precinct 456: Crockett, 262 votes, or 63 percent; Hackett, 153

Sutton wins village
While villager Jerry Sutton was the clear winner in his race for Greene County Commissioner in Yellow Springs, countywide he was defeated by Republican Marilyn Reid. Likewise, the second commissioner seat was won countywide by incumbent Rick Perales, although villagers favored his Democratic opponent by a wide margin.

Precinct 440: Sutton, 582 votes, or 89 percent; Reid, 75
Precinct 441: Sutton, 388 votes, or 90 percent; Reid, 41
Precinct 442: Sutton, 472 votes, or 90 percent; Reid, 52
Precinct 443: Sutton, 497, or 87 percent; Reid, 69
Precinct 455: Reid, 195 votes, or 53 percent; Sutton, 173
Precinct 456: Sutton, 282 votes, or 69 percent; Reid, 129

YS for levies
Yellow Springers were generous in their support for Greene County social service and health agencies, saying yes to all four county levies. In the village Issue 21, for the Greene County Children Services Board, passed with 1,640 votes for and 401 against. In Miami Township, a smaller margin of voters gave thumbs up to the levy, with 470 votes for the levy and 287 votes against. In the county, the levy, which involved a small tax increase, passed.

Issue 22, for Greene Memorial Hospital, also won big in the village. Yellow Springs voters cast 1,701 yes votes for Issue 22, while 406 villagers voted against. In Miami Township, 531 voters chose Issue 22 while 261 voted against. County-wide, voters passed the levy, which did not raise taxes.

The Greene County Board of Mental Retardation levy, or Issue 23, also won in the village, with 1,843 voters for the measure and 345 voting against. In the township, 548 voters said yes to Issue 23, while 244 said no. Greene County voters passed the levy, which also did not raise taxes.

Issue 24, the levy for the Greene County Mental Health and Recovery Board, lost in the county, but won in Yellow Springs. In the village, 1,673 voters said yes to the levy, while 508 voted against. The margin was more narrow in the township, although Issue 24 still won there, with 405 yes votes and 384 no.

Contact: dchiddister@ysnews.com