Tremendous Voter Turnout in County for Election

(OUR WAYNE MORAN CAPTURED THIS PHOTO OF RETIRING EFFINGHAM COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER KERRY HIRTZEL WITH HIS SUCCESSOR MICHELLE KOLLMANN SEATED TO HIS RIGHT AND HIS STAFF AT THE END OF HIRTZEL'S LAST ELECTION NIGHT BEFORE HE LEAVES OFFICE AT THE END OF THE MONTH)

Full Effingham County election numbers are located here

Turnout was tremendous in Effingham County for Tuesday's election.

Of 21,144 registered voters in the county, 16,038 people cast a vote. That's just under 76% of those registered.

As usual, the majority of county voters cast their ballots for Republican candidates, as did the majority of voters in surrounding counties. Statewide, though, all races went to Democrat candidates.

Of the four countywide offices in Effingham County, only one will still be held by the person elected to the position four years ago. That is Supervisor of Assessments Pam Braun, who was the only one of the four from four years ago to seek re-election,. County Clerk and Recorder Kerry Hirtzel and County Treasurer Paula Miller did not seek re-election, and Paul Kuhns was appointed sheriff after Dave Mahon resigned to retire in June 2021.

Along with Kuhns and Braun, Michelle Kollmann was elected Clerk and Recorder and Deborah Ruholl was elected County Treasurer, both unopposed. Kollmann is a longtime clerk's office employee, and Ruholl also works at the County Office Building as County Board Secretary. 

Speaking of the County Board, all nine spots on the Board were up for grabs, but all nine candidates ran unopposed in Tuesday's election. The incumbents who ran again and were re-elected are Norbert Soltwedel in District A, David Campbell in District D, Elizabeth Huston in District F, and Doug McCain in District G. The newcomers are Joshua Douthit in District B, Jeremy Kyle in District C, Christopher Keller in District E, Sandra Gillet in District H, and Jeremy D. Deters in District I. The departing board members are Jim Niemann, Rob Arnold, Joe Thoele, Heather Mumma and John Perry. McCain remains the lone Democrat on the Board. All of the countywide offices remain in Republican hands.