Polls have closed for the Box Butte County primary election, bringing an end to an unprecedented election day. With concerns over COVID-19 allowing Box Butte County’s voters to mail in ballots, new election equipment and an ongoing renovation project at the courthouse, this election is historic as election workers have had to adapt to multiple changes. The results of the primary election were finalized by the canvassing board on Thursday afternoon.
This year, in an effort to address concerns over COVID-19, the Box Butte County Courthouse served as the only polling place, with election workers donning masks and other personal protective equipment as they worked to let voters voice their opinion at the polls.
“I knew it was going to be different this year because of the renovations,” said Box Butte County Clerk Judy Messersmith. “I had no idea that with COVID-19 this would happen. Getting new poll workers was a challenge. Moving all of the precincts to the courthouse for safety, I realize there is more space at some locations, but we weren’t able to sanitize the other areas. The Secretary of State provided a little over 2,000 disposable pens. They had masks, gloves and sanitizer. We wiped down the booths.”
Earlier this year, the Nebraska Secretary of State mailed voters applications for a mail-in ballot. Messersmith said the number of ballots requested surpassed the turnout for the primary election in 2016. There were a total of 3,216 ballots cast in the 2020 Box Butte County primary election, compared to only 1,984 in the 2016 primary election. As a whole, there was a voter turnout of 42.19 percent. Republicans saw the highest turnout with 50.81 percent; Democrats had a turnout of 38.57 percent; Libertarians has a turnout of 14.47 percent and nonpartisan voters had a turnout of 21.27 percent. Messersmith said she is grateful to the voters for their patience, and for her staff and other poll workers.
“We didn’t have that many people voting in person,” Messersmith said. “We were busy, but we didn’t have that many people show up compared to who voted early. The people were great. They were very patient. It went well, because I had great people. I had some experienced poll workers, a great staff.”
Based on the turnout in this election, Messersmith said she would like to see Box Butte County become an all-mail election, like Dawes and Morrill Counties.
“I have no idea what’s going to happen in November,” Messersmith said. “I know there is a state out there that already said they’re going to do all mail. It would be nice if the state let us. If we had been prepared for an all-mail, we don’t have to send out applications, we just have to send ballots to 100 percent of the voters.”
As part of the primary election, in Alliance, voters were asked to voice their opinion on proposition one, which would, if passed, would increase the sales tax by one half cent. The revenue generated by the tax would be allocated in different ways: 75 percent of the funds would be used for the repair of roads and streets, and the remaining 25 percent would be used for other capital improvements in the city, which would have to be approved by a ¾ affirmative vote by members of the Alliance City Council. The proposition failed with 1,224 people voting against the measure, and 882 people voting for it.
In the race for the Alliance City Council, incumbent Brian Mischnick received 1,120 votes, incumbent Ryann Reynolds received 190, Travis Turman received 457, Gary A. Goodell received 477, Mara Andersen received 589 and John S. McGhehey received 1,245. Incumbent Ryann Reynolds and Travis Turman has been eliminated from the race.
In the race for Box Butte County Commissioner, incumbent Doug Hashman received a total of 1,036 votes, and Steve Burke received 1,178. Hashman was eliminated from the race.
In Hemingford, voters were asked to make their position known on the school bond issue. According to the language on the ballot, the Hemingford Public School District would issue bonds not to exceed $14,300,000 to finance the costs of constructing one or more additions to connect the District’s existing elementary school building, high school building and gymnasium, including corridors “connecting the existing buildings, classrooms, a library, a gymnasium with theatre stage, a multipurpose room, teacher/administrative offices, and a new main entry and commons area to move the entry from the highway to a safer location.”
The funds would also be used to renovate and improve the existing buildings and facilities, related sites, including new bus parking and drop-off location, and student parking, among other improvements. The bond would also pay for equipping and furnishing the building and site improvements.
The Hemingford School Bond failed to pass, with 482 people in Box Butte County voting against the bond, and 143 people voting for it. The bond was also put to a vote in Dawes County, where it also failed, with 73 people voting against the bond and 24 people voting for it.
In the race for Legislative District 43, in Box Butte County, incumbent Tom Brewer received 1,375 votes, and Tanya Storer received 941. In the race for Legislative District 47, incumbent Steve Erdman ran unopposed. In Box Butte County, he received 663.
On the Republican Presidential Ticket, incumbent Donald J. Trump received 2,051 votes in Box Butte County, and Bill Weld received 158. In the Republican Senatorial Ticket, incumbent Ben Sasse received 1,637 votes in Box Butte County, and Matt Innis received 673.
On the Republican Congressional Ticket, incumbent Adrian Smith received 1,764 votes in Box Butte County, Larry Lee Scott Bolinger, of Alliance, received 131, William Elfgren received 91, Justin Moran received 164 and Arron Kowalski received 92.
On the Democratic Presidential Ticket, Joe Biden received 444 votes in Box Butte County, Tulsi Gabbard received 24, Bernie Sanders received 57 and Elizabeth Warren received 35.
On the Democratic Senatorial Ticket, Dennis Frank Macek received 16 votes in Box Butte County, Chris Janicek received 151, Larry Marvin received 29, Angie Philips received 128, Alisha Shelton received 107, Daniel M. Wilk received 22 and Andy Stock received 51. On the Democratic Congressional Ticket, Mark Elworth Jr. ran unopposed, and received 497 votes in Box Butte County.
On the Libertarian Presidential Ticket, Max Abramson received zero votes in Box Butte County, Dan Behrman received two votes, Lincoln Chafee received zero, Jacob Homberger received one, Jo Jorgensen received two and Adam Kokesh received one.
On the Libertarian Senatorial Ticket, Gene Siadek ran unopposed and received 15 votes in Box Butte County. On the Libertarian Congressional Ticket, Dustin C. Hobbs ran unopposed and received 16 votes in Box Butte County.
Messersmith confirmed results in the races would trigger an automatic recount.