The first tally of ballots in tonight's Special Election were encouraging for those hoping for a strong law enforcement presence in Grants Pass and Josephine County.
According to the unofficial results released at 8 p.m., Grants Pass voters overwhelmingly passed Measure 17-114 -- a five-year renewal of the $1.79 local option levy to help pay for police and fire services.
Approximately 78% of Grants Pass voters approved the measure, while 22% of the electorate voted "no." A total of 7,295 voters have weighed in so far.
Josephine County voters also approved of Measure 17-115 -- a law enforcement service district for the Sheriff's Office which would cost property owners 99 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value
The tally was much closer, with 52% of Josephine County voters saying "yes" and 48% saying "no." A total of 12,200 voters had returned their ballots as of 8 p.m..
Josephine County Clerk Rhiannon Henkels said approximately 4,000 ballots were received today. She said the unofficial turnout as of 5 p.m. today was about 29%.
The next run of ballots will include those picked up at designated drop sites and it's expected to be released late tonight. Over the next few days, ballots that were mailed in will be included in the totals.
