So...the results!?!?

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Some interesting facts about the November 3, 2009, election:

NOTE: All items were calculated from the unofficial reported as of 11/04/09, 00:37:02, on the Butler County Board of Elections website pages. http://www.butlercountyelections.org/LiveResults/data/results.htm

There were a total of at least 8,410 ballots cast in Middletown’s 36 BUTLER COUNTY precincts (the total number of votes cast (both “YES” and “NO”) on Issue 8. But Middletown had 37 BUTLER COUNTY precincts reported for the School Board!
There were only a total of 8,225 total votes cast for all city council candidates. This means that at least 185 ballots were cast WITHOUT a vote for a city councilman.
Since each ballot allowed a vote for EACH of the unopposed School Board candidates, a total of 16,820 votes could have been cast, yet only 9,521 total votes were cast. This means that voters chose 7,299 times to NOT CAST a vote for one or both of the two unopposed candidates. This was in spite of Rev. Tyus’s plea for everyone to vote for him and Ms. Andrews despite them running unopposed “to show support”! Could this mean that many voters do NOT support the actions of the school board. I don’t know. You tell me.
Rev. Tyus received less than half (45.7%) of the possible votes running unopposed. 54.3% of the voters chose NOT to vote for him.
There were 3,299 votes cast in Ward 3. This is nearly as many votes as cast in any two of the other three Wards COMBINED! Mr. Marconi’s LOSING Ward 3 total of 1,559 was the SECOND HIGHEST total of ANY candidate in any ward, and would have made him a CLEAR WINNER in any other ward. Mr. Marconi’s LOSING TOTAL was HIGHER than the TOTAL number of VOTES CAST in EITHER Ward 2 or Ward 4. Mr. Smith, in Ward 2, had the LARGEST victory (percentage-wise) but even though he ran the BEST campaign (in my view) and spent the MOST money (according to the preliminary report), he garnered only 930 votes. This total in Ward 3 would have placed him in a DISTANT third place. He would also have lost with this total in either Ward 1 or Ward 4. What does of this mean? I can’t say for certain, but since there will never be another Ward election (without significant citizen effort) one can only wonder which area of the city will control council elections in the future.
To further put the “ward issue” in perspective, consider the vote totals listed this way:
JOSHUA E. LAUBACH                 1740 Ward 3
TONY MARCONI                        1559 Ward 3
JAMES E. ARMBRUSTER           1274 Ward 1 (1 block from 3)
DANIEL J. PICARD                     1024 Ward 4 (across street from 3)
A. J. SMITH                                 930 Ward 2
GARY LEE BARGE                      805 Ward 1
PAUL NAGY                                528 Ward 4
JOHN P. SOPPANISH                  365 Ward 2 
Now consider that, if all of the same gentlemen had been running “at large”, the voting instructions would have said: “Four to be elected. Vote for up to FOUR.”
Now, before the “stone throwers” begin, I am NOT trying to demean or belittle ANYONE, by any of the forgoing. I am simply trying to take a look at the statistics and see if they tell us any more than the councilmen-elect.

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Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: So...the results!?!? Posted: Nov 04 2009 at 4:34pm
	Some interesting facts about the November 3, 2009, election: NOTE: All items were calculated from the unofficial reported as of 11/04/09, 00:37:02, on the Butler County Board of Elections website pages. http://www.butlercountyelections.org/LiveResults/data/results.htm There were a total of *at least* 8,410 ballots cast in Middletown’s 36 BUTLER COUNTY precincts (the total number of votes cast (both “YES” and “NO”) on Issue 8. But Middletown had 37 BUTLER COUNTY precincts reported for the School Board! There were only a total of 8,225 total votes cast for all city council candidates. This means that at least 185 ballots were cast WITHOUT a vote for a city councilman. Since each ballot allowed a vote for EACH of the unopposed School Board candidates, a total of 16,820 votes could have been cast, yet only 9,521 total votes were cast. This means that voters chose 7,299 times to NOT CAST a vote for one or both of the two unopposed candidates. This was in spite of Rev. Tyus’s plea for everyone to vote for him and Ms. Andrews despite them running unopposed “to show support”! Could this mean that many voters do NOT support the actions of the school board. I don’t know. You tell me. Rev. Tyus received less than half (45.7%) of the possible votes running unopposed. 54.3% of the voters chose NOT to vote for him. There were 3,299 votes cast in Ward 3. This is nearly as many votes as cast in any two of the other three Wards COMBINED! Mr. Marconi’s LOSING Ward 3 total of 1,559 was the SECOND HIGHEST total of ANY candidate in any ward, and would have made him a CLEAR WINNER in any other ward. Mr. Marconi’s LOSING TOTAL was HIGHER than the TOTAL number of VOTES CAST in EITHER Ward 2 or Ward 4. Mr. Smith, in Ward 2, had the LARGEST victory (percentage-wise) but even though he ran the BEST campaign (in my view) and spent the MOST money (according to the preliminary report), he garnered only 930 votes. This total in Ward 3 would have placed him in a DISTANT *third* place. He would also have lost with this total in either Ward 1 or Ward 4. What does of this mean? I can’t say for certain, but since there will never be another Ward election (without significant citizen effort) one can only wonder which area of the city will control council elections in the future. To further put the “ward issue” in perspective, consider the vote totals listed this way: JOSHUA E. LAUBACH 1740 Ward 3 TONY MARCONI 1559 Ward 3 JAMES E. ARMBRUSTER 1274 Ward 1 (1 block from 3) DANIEL J. PICARD 1024 Ward 4 (across street from 3) A. J. SMITH 930 Ward 2 GARY LEE BARGE 805 Ward 1 PAUL NAGY 528 Ward 4 JOHN P. SOPPANISH 365 Ward 2 Now consider that, if all of the same gentlemen had been running “at large”, the voting instructions would have said: “Four to be elected. Vote for up to FOUR.” Now, before the “stone throwers” begin, I am NOT trying to demean or belittle ANYONE, by any of the forgoing. I am simply trying to take a look at the statistics and see if they tell us any more than the councilmen-elect.
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

Pacman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pacman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Nov 04 2009 at 4:59pm
	Mike go back and look at the number of eligible voters in each ward and the percentage that didn't or did vote, this will tell you why your lineup is the way it is. It will also tell you why Amendment 26 passed. There is really no reason not to vote with the Absentee Ballot so readily available other than apathy.

Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Nov 04 2009 at 5:20pm
	Pac: I understand. The point is the number that DO vote. Had this been an "at-large" election, even if EVERYONE in Ward 2 who voted had voted for AJ, he would've received less than 1,300 hundred votes from that ward. Would he have received votes in other wards? Of course he would have! The question is: Would the SAME four people been elected? Or would the results have looked more like the list above? Remember the last "at-large" campaign? There were folks who raised $15 to $20 THOUSAND and MORE!!! AJ did a great job of fund-raising, but could he match those numbers without "the boys" behind him?? I don't know. I'm just wondering.
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

Pacman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pacman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Nov 04 2009 at 6:37pm
	My point is you need to get out the vote which is hard to do in an off year election. So for now on we only have Council at large elections for all members in years that there is a Presidential Election.

Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Nov 04 2009 at 7:33pm
	Uh oh, Pacman! One of us was confused by the ballot language! We just elected FOUR council members to four-year terms (ending in December, 2013). It is my understanding that we will elect TWO at-large council members and a mayor, all to FOUR YEAR terms, in 2011. We will then elect TWO additional at-large council members in 2013 (as the terms of the FINAL four Ward councilmen are ending.) We will then repeat these cycles in ODD-numbered years. Am I confused? If so, how do we get to elections in presidential election years?
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012