A resounding 70 percent of DeKalb County voters approved the 911 emergency telephone system in an average turnout at the nonpartisan election.

The DeKalb County Board is expected to act on the referendum by approving a nine-member emergency telephone system committee at its Nov. 15 meeting.

“I think the voters made the correct decision,” said Bev Waite, chairwoman of the DeKalb County Board’s Safety and Law Committee. Although she hesitated to call the 5,981-1,964 referendum victory a “mandate,” Waite attributed the win to the committee’s hard work and positive countywide response.

A monthly fee of 84 cents per telephone line will fund the system. An emergency call using the system will provide the dispatcher with the caller’s telephone number, as well as providing the address to the police, fire and ambulance service. Special information regarding that address also will be known.

The system is supported by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, the DeKalb City Council and the DeKalb County Farm Bureau, as well as most countywide fire, police and ambulance services.

Although 23 percent of the 35,000 eligible voters went to the polls Tuesday, DeKalb County Clerk Terry Desmond said the average turnout here was better than most other Illinois counties.

Desmond said the average turnout, though low, can be attributed to DeKalb’s uncontested school board races. DeKalb makes up 45 percent of the county’s 75,000 population and has the most registered voters in the county.

NIU student turnout was dismal, with two precincts each casting one ballot.