Linn County Clerk David Lamb posts early results of the presidential preference primary on the bulletin board at the county courthouse on Tuesday evening. (Roger Sims/Linn County Journal)
By Roger Sims, rsims@llinncountyjournal.com
MOUND CITY – If there was any question that Donald Trump enjoys a great deal of support in Linn County, the results of the state’s presidential preference primary on Tuesday, March 20, should erase any doubt. In a low-turnout vote, the former president garnered 448 votes, more than three and half times the total number of ballots cast for other candidates from both the Republican and Democratic parties.
Voter turnout likely lagged across the state because the vote had little significance nationwide. Both Trump and President Joe Biden have already secured enough delegates to win the nominations from their respective parties. However, the vote across the state might be an indicator of which one would win Kansas' electoral votes following the general election in November.
Unofficial statewide results showed that Trump received almost 70,600 votes compared to Biden’s 35,000 votes. Although Trump’s closest challenger, Nikki Haley, dropped out of the race earlier this month, she received 16% of the vote statewide and nearly 6% in Linn County.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who earlier in the campaign was Trump’s closest-but-still-distant rival, received 3% of the vote statewide and less than 2% in Linn County.
Most precinct workers reported a slow day at the polls, however a few workers said that the number of voters swelled between 5 and 7 p.m. when the the polls closed. Pleasanton, Linn Valley and La Cygne precincts recorded the most activity.
Here are the unofficial results of the Linn County vote:
Republican candidates:
Donald Trump – 448
Nikki Haley – 30
None of the names shown – 15
Ron DeSantis - 9
Ryan Binkley - 1
Democratic candidates
Joe Biden – 52
None of the names shown – 14
Dean Phillips – 2
Marianne Williamson - 2
Jason Palmer - 2
There were six votes that were deemed provisional ballots and could be counted in a vote canvass by the Linn County Commission at 9 a.m. on March 27. An election audit will be conducted at 10 a.m. on March 21 in the Linn County Clerks’ office.