LA RUSSELL, Mo. (AP) — Local elections in April generally attract few voters but a small southwest Missouri town hit a new low this week when not one of its 70 residents cast a ballot.
Jasper County Clerk Charlie Davis said his office checked several times to confirm that no votes were cast Tuesday in La Russell in an election to decide if it should annex itself into the Avilla Fire Protection District.
La Russell voters have to travel 7 miles (11 kilometers) to Sarcoxie to vote and there apparently was little publicity and few reminders about the election, The Joplin Globe reported. La Russell is about 160 miles (260 kilometers) south of Kansas City.
John Carver, a resident of La Russell for 50 years, said he didn’t see any flyers about the election.
“I worked until 10 p.m.,” Carver said. “It was too late to drive to Sarcoxie to vote. I work in the field and do whatever, run parts for semis, whatever it takes to keep things going. Plus, hardly anyone knew about the vote.”
Deborah Burton, La Russell city clerk and wife of Mayor Rick Burton, said her husband was in the hospital until Wednesday after he became ill last week.
