Alexander 2022 Election by the numbers

If one statement can be made about all elections that is universally true it’s that not everyone who votes, votes on all the candidates on the ballot. That’s what’s called undervotes and the November 8 Election was no different.

On the Saline County side of Alexander 513 voters cast at least one vote in the election. In the mayor’s race a total of 498 votes were cast. In the three races for seats on the city council 471 votes were cast for the Ward-2, Position-2 seat, 469 votes were cast for the Ward-4, Position-1 seat and 479 votes were cast for the Ward-4, Position-2 seat.

In Pulaski County 50 voters cast at least one vote. In the mayor’s race a total of 42 votes were cast. In the three races for seats on the city council 41 votes each were cast for both the Ward-2, Position-2 seat and the Ward-4, Position-1 seat. For the Ward-4, Position-2 seat 42 votes were cast.

As it’s already been reported, a runoff election is needed to determine who will be mayor for the next four years, Incumbent Mayor Paul Mitchell or his opponent Crystal Herrmann. A runoff is required when a candidate does not receive 50-percent plus one vote.

There’s been some discussion on Social Media over how the calculations were made to determine the percentage of votes assigned to each candidate. In September mayoral candidate Scott Chaloner withdrew from the race. Since it was too late to remove his name from the ballot, and his withdrawal was made public, some still cast votes for Chaloner. According to Saline County Clerk Doug Curtis even though Chaloner wasn’t able to win, his votes were still used to calculate the percentage of votes received by each candidate.

Of the total 540 votes cast, which includes both counties, the mayor’s race broke down like this. Herrmann received a total of 256 votes (47.40-percent). Mitchell received a total of 228 votes (42.22-percent). Chaloner came in third with a total of 35 votes (6.48-percent). Finally, Tom "TJ" Gaylor Jr. came in fourth with a total of 21 (3.88-percent).

This won’t be Mitchell’s first rodeo when it comes to election runoffs. The same thing happened in 2014 when he ran to retake the mayor’s office after losing a recall election in 2012.

In the 2014 election for mayor the total votes cast from Pulaski and Saline counties were 457. The breakdown among the four candidates was; Interim Mayor Michelle Hobbs 161 votes (35.29-percent), Paul Mitchell 127 votes (27.79-percent), Corliss "Jerry" Ball 110 votes (24.07-percent), and Farren Wadley 59 votes (12.91-percent).

In the runoff only 207 votes were cast. The breakdown was; Paul Mitchell 130 votes (62.80-percent) and Michelle Hobbs 77 votes (37.19-percent).

Let the campaigning for round-two begin.