Monroe County Clerk Jonathan McLean reported Monday morning that 288 people have voted early ahead of the April 6 consolidated election. 

“It’s going, but it’s a lot less,” McLean said of early voting. 

Among those early votes, about 58 percent or 169 were from Columbia, where there is a contested mayoral race and two contested aldermanic races. 

That includes 89 people who voted early at Columbia City Hall on Saturday. Only 10 people did that at the Monroe County Courthouse at the Saturday event.

There have also been 145 requests to vote by mail, with 63 of those ballots already turned in and 82 pending.  

McLean said early voting in all forms  is normally about 15 percent of the total vote cast in municipal elections, and this year’s  pace would make sense given McLean’s projected turnout for the election. 

“I think we’re going to end up with about a 10 percent turnout everywhere else and about 22 percent turnout in Columbia,” McLean said. 

Uncontested races

In addition to the contested races in Columbia and Waterloo, there are multiple uncontested races. 

In Waterloo, the city council will have one new member but no contested races. Russ Thomas, who represents Ward I, did not file to run again for his seat, while newcomer Matt Buettner did. Jim Trantham, Kyle Buettner and Russ Row are all unopposed. 

There are no contested races for Waterloo School Board, as there are three seats open and only incumbents John Caupert, James Yaekel and Neil Giffhorn are running.  

There will also be no contested Columbia School Board races, but candidates Andrea Crowder Khoury, Tyson Search and Adam Hemken will all be new board members after current board members Karen Anderson, Greg O’Connor and John Long did not file to run again.

While Columbia has a few contested races at the city level, Andrew Hitzemann, Mark Roessler and Mary Ellen Niemietz are all unopposed in their bids for city clerk and alderman, respectively. 

In Valmeyer, Howard Heavner has no opponent in his bid to remain village president, while Henry “Butch” Ford, Robert Nowlan, Timothy Valentine and Adam Tyberendt are also unopposed as village trustees. Nowlan is replacing Jean Langsdorf, who decided not to run again. 

The Valmeyer Public Library District has two trustee spots open and two candidates running: Christopher Harness and Bobbie Klinkhardt. 

Fults and Hecker have no contested races. 

In Millstadt, Mayor Michael Todd, Village Clerk Christine Pipik and village board members Michael French, Albert Lehr and Mark Todd are all unopposed in their bids for re-election.