News-Journal readers
Sixteen percent of eligible voters cast ballots Tuesday in the Port Orange city election for the District 1 seat left unexpectedly open after the resignation of Marilyn Ford. Jonathan Foley won with 54% of the vote, defeating Marcey Kinney.
It was a pleasant mid-season flex for local political players. Although the race was nonpartisan, Foley had local Republican support while many area Democrats backed Kinney.
The 16 percent turnout may have seemed light, but it's excellent by off-year, special election standards. What was particularly notable was the continued wide use of mail-in ballots by voters of both parties. Fully 88 percent of the votes cast were mailed into the elections office.