By Keighla Schmidt, Correspondent

When Melanie Anderson’s second-grade class was learning the basics of elections, they had to close their eyes and raise their hands to vote on their preferred cereal, Cheerios or Lucky Charms.

Election Day would have turned out differently if Prior Lake-Savage Area children had their say.

Kids Voting USA 2008 results show John McCain winning the presidential election. Over 2,500 children cast ballots at Kids Voting USA booths at area precincts.

Children also selected Norm Coleman, John Kline, Michael Beard, Tom Wolf, and Chad LeMair as their elected officials.

Students would have passed both School District referendum questions by a landslide, while in the true election only the first question passed.

By Shannon Fiecke, Correspondent 

Longtime Scott County Commissioner Barb Marschall, who campaigned on the strength of her experience, held on to the seat Tuesday, despite a strong challenge by Prior Lake City Councilman Chad LeMair.

Prior Lake voters came out strong on Tuesday, with 93 percent of pre-registered voters in the city casting ballots. But factoring in the more than 2,000 voters who registered on Election Day, the total voter turnout was 81 percent.

The city had 13,760 voters registered as of Tuesday morning, with another 2,096 registering at the polls. The city counted 12,840 ballots overall.

By Joanna Miller, Staff Writer 

“It’s a wonderful day in Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools for our students” were the first words Superintendent Sue Ann Gruver used to describe the referendum vote Tuesday.

The first referendum question passed with 11,551 votes, or 55 percent approval. Forty-four percent of voters cast no votes (9,396).

The second referendum question failed by 446 votes. There were 10,372 votes against the question, or 51 percent. There were 9,926 yes votes for the second question, or 49 percent.

By Lori Carlson, Editor

Voters in Spring Lake Township chose to keep two existing members on the Board of Supervisors.

Unopposed incumbent Michael Borka, a retired auto repair shop owner who’s lived in the township for 17 years, retained his seat, which he’s held since 2004.

Voters returned unopposed incumbent Michael Borka and
incumbent Glenn Kelley to the Spring Lake Township Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

Borka earned 99 percnet of the vote; in the other race,
Kelley got 64 percent while challenger David Shumate got 35 percent.

With all precincts reporting in Scott
County, the following candidates have
been elected: Michael Beard, Mark Buesgens, Tom Wolf, Barbara Marschall and
John Kline.

Beard defeated DFL challenger Sue Bruns in House District
35A, taking 55 percent of the vote. In District 35B, incumbent Buesgens beat
DFLer Taylor Kristoffe-Jones 62 to 37 percent.