Nearly three-quarters of Jasper County’s registered voters — 72.87 percent — cast ballots in support of candidates for county offices. A total of 19,579 ballots were cast, with 9,015 of those counted as absentee, up from 6,600 during the 2008 election cycle, according to auditor Dennis Parrott.

Halferty elected sheriff

Ending with 12,088 votes — 63.58 percent — Democrat John Halferty has been elected sheriff of Jasper County for a four-year term. He beat out Republican Steve Hoffman, who garnered a total of 6,888 votes at 36.23 percent.