More than 1,300 Reston residents voted in the Reston Community Center's Preference Poll, selecting two incumbents and a newcomer to the board overseeing RCC's budget and policies.
Bev Cosham and Terry Smith were reelected to the RCC Board of Governors, as was Roger Lowen. All three candidates' positions on the board are subject to approval by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, though all are expected to be confirmed.
The three winning candidates were endorsed by the Alliance for a Better Community (ABC), a citizen's group that supports candidates for Reston's elected positions. ABC prints handouts for its candidates and is known for turning out large numbers of its members for elections.
On Saturday, RCC held its annual Community Polling Day and community picnic, on which Reston residents cast ballots for the RCC board candidates and children can enjoy face painting, rides and music.
Turnout for the preference poll was unusually high this year. In past years, as few as 300 residents have voted in the election. Turnout for the preference poll was highest in 1999, when 2,200 residents voted, primarily because the Lake Anne community center was under consideration at the time.
The presumed new board members defeated three candidates, Mary Buff, John Abell and Ram Singh in the preference poll.
RCC released the specific preference poll results late Monday. Lowen received 731 votes, Cosham received 726, Smith received 720, Buff received 597, Abell received 528, and Singh received 518.
Both Cosham and Smith were immediate past officers of the RCC board, with Cosham the chair and Smith the vice chair. Lowen sat on RCC's Governance Panel and has served on the Reston Citizens Association board as well.
The new board will get back to work next month at its meeting on Nov. 1.