Final day to register to vote in General Election is Oct. 23
The ballots have been finalized and printed and many mailed out, early voting has begun and the Nov. 3 General Election is now just three weeks away. It’s a busy time for the office of Hamilton County Clerk, Jill DeMers, who also serves as election commissioner for the county.
DeMers reported last week that ballots for mail-in-only precincts 1-6 in rural Hamilton County were to be mailed out on Friday. Those in Precincts 7-9 will vote on person. Those precincts include Hordville, Marquette and the three wards in Aurora for which voting takes place at the Bremer Center.
Early voting ballots became available as of Oct. 5 and DeMers said voters may request a ballot be mailed to them or they can pick one up at her office in the courthouse. They may either take the ballot home to mark and then return it by the deadline. If they wish to vote in a booth, she said temporary voting booths have been set up in the hallway outside her office.
DeMers said that as of Thursday 157 early voting ballots had been requested in the county.
Important dates
DeMers said some other important dates to remember are:
* Oct. 16 – This is the last day to register to vote or change registration online.
* Oct. 23 – The last day to register to vote at the courthouse. The clerk’s office will be open until 6 p.m. that day.
* Nov. 2 – The last day to vote in the clerk’s office or take a ballot home for voting.
On Election Day, all early ballots must either be handed in at the clerk’s office or placed in the official ballot box on the east side of the courthouse by 8 p.m. When mailing in ballots, DeMers reminds voters that the ballot must be in the clerk’s office by the 8 p.m. deadline, so they should allow plenty of time for it to arrive.
Noting that with four proposed constitutional amendments or initiated measures, plus numerous statewide and local elections on the ballot, voters should be aware they are not required to vote on every question.
“One question we’ve had just recently is, ‘Do you have to vote on every issue?’” she said. “You do not. You can just vote on what you would like to vote on. If it is every issue, great. If you only want to pick a few that you know, that’s fine.”
Regarding the ballot issues, DeMers said an informational pamphlet is available from the Secretary of State’s office which explains the three initiated measures in detail. The measures deal with sports betting (440 and 441) and to establish constitutional protections for sex-separate athletics in Nebraska (442).
Few local contests
While there are a number of hotly contested races on the ballot for statewide and district offices, there are relatively few local races in Hamilton County as many candidates are running unopposed. For instance, there are no races for Hamilton County Commission or the various county officers such as sheriff and county attorney.
Some Hamilton County voters will have to choose among five candidates seeking three seats on the Doniphan-Trumbull Public School Board and there are six candidate running for three seats on the Heartland Community Schools board in Henderson. The Sutton District has four candidates running for three open seats while the Giltner School District also has four candidates vying for the three available seats on its board. The candidates include incumbents Brandon Hunnicutt and Logan Rath and newcomers Mandy Eastman and Kelly Schelkopf.
Also on the ballot for Giltner voters is a bond issue to pay for improvements to school facilities.
In Aurora, the name of Carl Smith still appears on the ballot for city council in Ward 3. He had filed to challenge incumbent Dan Bartling, who is up for reelection, but was recently appointed to fill out the unexpired term of Councilman Mark Dunn who resigned because he was moving outside the city limits.
There are also races for trustee positions in three of the county’s villages. In Hampton, Janet Ficken and Chris Slocum are challenging incumbents James Parsley and Nick Faller for their seats. In Hordville, Matt Means, Carla Fowler and Chris Fowler are running for two open seats on the village board, and in Phillips there are five candidates for three open positions. The candidates are incumbents Dorothy Benton, Jordan Watson and Les Dana and challengers Aaron Smith and Ron King.
DeMers said anyone who has questions about the election is invited to call her office during business hours at 402-694-3443 or they may also call her cell phone at 402-631-9020.