BELLE FOURCHE—Voters went to the polls to elect new city council members on April 8.
Voters from Ward 1 and Ward 2 were able to choose from five total candidates and cast a vote to help elect their favorite.
Voting was open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. but the electorate barely trickled in throughout the day. “Very slow,” said election worker Beth Morey. “We’re hoping that it will pick up here in the last couple of hours.”
At the end of the day, Kristal Steeves came out the winner of Ward 1 with a total of 31 votes. She beat out Karen Davis who received 25 votes and Ivy Zimmerschied who earned 18 votes.
In Ward 2 Lee Capp won over incumbent James “Clark” Sowers with a vote of 108 to 73.
Out of approximately 3200 voters in Wards 1 and 2, a total of 74 votes were cast in Ward 1 and a total of 181 votes in Ward 2 for a total of 255 votes cast. “Ward 1 has about 1200 voters and Ward 2 has about 1000 voters, so out of 3200 voters we have had 126 people come vote and they (Ward 1) have less,” explained Stacey Raisanen, election worker. “There’s nothing else to vote on so it’s hard.”
“It’s terrible—well what we have is three ladies that are running—all nice. I don’t think anyone would not be a good choice, so there’s no worries, no animosity, and everybody probably just figures whatever happens it’s okay,” explained Morey. “Now, if you have somebody that people don’t like, they will get out.”
Voter Cindy Stover summed it up by saying, “…if I don’t vote, I don’t get to complain!”
Those joining Steeves and Capp to a three year terms on the City Council are Dean Brunner, Ward 3 and Robert Somervold, Ward 4 both ran unopposed.
Read the full issue of the Belle Fourche Beacon by clicking here.
