2001 overvote didn't repeat itself

Of all of the numbers in today's mayoral primary, here are the ones the Hamilton County Board of Elections is most proud of:

• Undervotes (ballots cast but not marked for any candidate): 295, or 0.68 percent.
• Overvotes (ballots improperly cast for more than one candidate): 217, or 0.5 percent.

That's a big improvement over 2001's first ever mayoral primary, when 4.7 percent of votes were voided because voters selected more than one candidate.

Another number to consider: 701. That's the number of provisional votes left to be counted, which could theoretically give Mark L. Mallory a chance at finishing in first place over David Pepper.

Turnout was a disappointing 20.34 percent. Elections officials had optimistically predicted 30 percent. In the 2001 primary -- which was on Sept. 11 -- the turnout was 15 percent.