PERRY (UPDATE, 9:35 p.m.) — Challenger Linda Andorf will join incumbents Jim Lutmer and Kenia Alarcon as newly elected members of the Perry Community School District Board of Directors after a heavy turnout of voters declared their favorites Tuesday at the McCreary Community Building. A decided advantage in absentee votes, counted at the Dallas County Auditor’s office in Adel, allowed Alarcon to slip past Brelsford for the third spot.
A total of 519 ballots were cast, more than double the total amount those working, and watching, the polls said they had expected. Turnout was apparently slow until the afternoon hours, when the pace of electors entering the MCB noticeably quickened. So steady was the stream that seven voters made their choices known in the last five minutes.
Six candidates were vying for three seats, with Andorf the runaway winner with 325 votes. Lutmer will return to his seat after drawing 251 votes, with Brelsford edging incumbent Kenia Alarcon, 232-230, for the third and final spot. Those total were the unofficial totals taken from votes cast in Perry on Tuesday.
After absentee ballots were added in Adel, Alarcon surged past Brelsford with 11 additional votes to Brelsford’s six to turn a two-vote loss into an apparent three-vote victory, 241-238.
Andorf added six votes and stands at 331 and Lutmer eight to raise his total to 259. Both were easily elected.
Challengers Pete Malmberg and Corey Eastman finished well back at 193 and 156 votes, respectively, with additional votes in Adel raising their totals to 197 and 164.
All votes are technically unofficial until having been officially canvassed by the Dallas County Auditor.
ThePerryNews.com will update this story throughout the evening with remarks from the candidates.
