The Town Council Sept. 4 gave its approval to the county’s vote tally, making official the results of the late August primary election.

That brings two new council members to the dais as of December along with the continuing efforts of Mayor Linda Kavanagh and Councilman Henry Leger.

Kavanagh was unopposed in her effort for a second term, and Leger becomes the first in town history to be elected to a third term on the council.

The county released its final vote totals on Tuesday, Sept. 2, which were made official with a canvass by the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday.

Kavanagh received 4,246 votes of 6,124 ballots cast. There were 214 unofficial write-in votes for mayor and 1,661 who did not vote for the office.

Leger received the greatest number of votes in the council race with 3,614. He was followed by Nick DePorter with 3,563 and Alan Magazine, 3,183.

The fourth candidate on the ballot for council, Lina Bellenir, received 2,900 votes.

The three leading vote getters received enough ballots to preclude the need for a run-off in November.

The Recorder’s Office reports that there were 52 ballots cast in Fountain Hills that were thrown out. The primary reason for being discarded was failure to sign the ballot (33). There were 14 ballots returned too late, and five ballots the signature could not be confirmed.

Fountain Hills had 16,213 registered voters for this election, and with 6,124 casting ballots, there was a nearly 38 percent turnout.

Although there were no polling stations for this all-mail ballot in Fountain Hills, the town was divided into five precincts. The Golden Eagle Precinct recorded the largest turnout of nearly 43 percent, while the Four Peaks Precinct showed a turnout of about 33 percent.

This was the first “fall” primary for the Town Council election following a change in state law requiring all municipal elections to coincide with county and state elections.

It appears that the switch had no impact on improving voter turnout for Fountain Hills. In 2012, the last March primary, there was a 39 percent turnout.

However, the all-mail ballot, confusing as it can be for some voters, has shown a marked improvement in voter participation.

The last town election in which polling stations were used was the 2010 election. The turnout for that March primary was 28 percent, nearly 10 points behind this election turnout.

While there will be no council election on the November ballot the races for governor, attorney general, secretary of state and state legislative offices will be on the ballot.

There will be five candidates seeking three School Board seats, however.

In legislative district 23, where Fountain Hills is located there is no challenge for the Republican candidates for House of Representatives. Incumbent Michelle Ugenti and Jay Lawrence will take those seats in January.

Representative John Kavanagh, who won the GOP nomination for the State Senate will have a Democratic challenger in November, Paula Penneypacker of Scottsdale.