Butler County votes DRY; "NO" voters outpace "YES" voters 2,265 to 1,939; North side makes the difference

Tue, 01/26/2016 - 8:33pm — John Embry

Butler County voters went to the polls today and by a margin of 326 votes chose to reject the legal sale of alcohol in a ballot referendum. "NO" voters edged out "YES" voters 2,265 to 1,939 with 12 of 12 precincts and all absentees reporting. In terms of percentage, "NO" voters garnered 54 percent and "YES" voters had 46 percent.

The local option election was prompted after a successful petition drive by a local citizens' group - Citizens for a Better Butler County. The effort to make alcohol sales legal in Butler County was opposed by another citizens group - Citizens for an Alcohol Free Butler County.

With all 12 precincts reporting, results indicate that the north side of Butler County provided the margin of victory for "NO" vote. The six precincts of the south side of Green River were relatively close, with "YES" receiving 1,247 votes and "NO" receiving 1,161 - a margin of 86 votes for the "YES" side. Specifically, Morgantown's two precincts voted in favor of legal alcohol sales by a margin of 60 votes - "YES" with 339 votes and "NO" with 279 votes.

The north side of Butler County provided a solid base for the "NO" voters with a margin of 356 votes. On the north side of the river, "NO" carried the vote with 963 votes and 607 votes for "YES."

Despite the 326-vote loss, Citizens for a Better Butler County say they are optimistic about the outcome, the turnout, and the future of Butler County.

"We lost this election but we have not lost our spirit," said Josh Hampton, spokesperson for the group. "If you think we're giving up on our community then you'd be wrong. We won the city ... the city is with us but overall it appears the county is pretty split when it comes to this issue. We're inspired coming out of this election and will continue to work for the betterment of our community," added Hampton.

Encouraged by the turnout, Hampton said he was grateful to the almost 2,000 voters who supported the "YES" cause.

"We'd like to thank everyone for their support and for their shared vision for a better Butler County," said Hampton. "We are tenacious and and we are dedicated to our community. We are Citizens for a Better Butler County," stated Hampton.

Bruce Jennings, chairman of Citizens for an Alcohol Free Butler County, offered praise for opponents and hope for the future of Butler County.

"There are so many great Butler Countians on both sides of this issue. The vote was not a mandate on anyone personally," said Jennings. "We disagreed on the issue of alcohol sales in our county. We voted and the issue has been resolved. We pray for healing and love for our community," added Jennings.

There are approximately 9,341 registered voters in Butler County. A total of 4,204 people voted in this local option election, which is about a 45 percent voter turnout.

Below are the unofficial election results for each precinct and absentees:

Absentees: Yes 85, No 141

East Morgantown: Yes 131, No 128

West Morgantown: Yes 208, No 151

South Second: Yes 181, No 183

North Second: Yes 307, No 274

South Third: Yes 227, No 257

North Third: Yes 193, No 168

Little Bend: Yes 7, No 10

Aberdeen: Yes 108, No 141

West Fourth: Yes 120, No 140

East Fourth: Yes 59, No 120