Fayette County’s voter turnout was higher than the statewide voter turnout percentage at Tuesday’s primary election.

According to unofficial results, 25.23 percent of county residents cast ballots in the primary compared to approximately 21 percent statewide.

Important local races and issues, such as the Fayette County Auditor race and two EMS levies — one county-wide and one for Jefferson Township — were likely the impetus for an uptick in county voter turnout, according to the local board of elections.

“Turnout was much better than expected,” said Fayette County Board of Elections Director Beth Ann Snyder. “Election Day here went pretty smoothly. We had a lot of new poll workers who did a great job. This election is more difficult for poll workers because they have to divide up ballots between the parties, and there were also write-ins and 17-year-olds. It’s a lot more difficult. But they did a great job and so did our entire board of elections team.”

As reported in Wednesday’s Record-Herald, Brenda Mossbarger defeated incumbent Aaron Coole in a tight Republican primary auditor race, according to unofficial results. There were no Democratic candidates for auditor and no independents filed by Monday’s deadline to run against the Republican winner in November. The only possibility for a general election opponent for Mossbarger is if someone files as a write-in candidate.

Also Tuesday, the county-wide EMS levy passed by a 57-42 percent margin, and the Jeffersonville EMS levy passed by a 62-37 percent margin.

The board of elections will meet May 22 at 3 p.m. to certify this year’s primary. Thirty-three provisional ballots still need to be added into the total, but there are not enough to change the outcomes of any races or issues. Also for Tuesday’s primary, 727 absentee ballots were cast.