Interest not high in coming General Election; absentee voting going very slow

The Nov. 8 General Municipal Election is less than a month away, and from the slight amount of early interest in absentee voting, it appears turnout for the handful of races will be light.

Absentee voting began Monday at the Greene County Voter Registration office and only one registered voter had cast a ballot, as of Friday morning.

Absentee voting will continue until noon Nov. 7

The deadline to make an absentee application is Oct. 31.

Between 50 and 75 applications have been mailed out, according to Heather Kirby, a deputy in the Voter Registration office.

The last day to register to vote in the general election was Tuesday.

Voters may cast their vote in person at the Voter's Registration during regular business hours - 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Voter's Registration office staff will provide additional opportunities Saturday, Oct. 29 and Saturday, Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Also, the office will have extended hours on Friday, Oct. 28 until 8 p.m. to accommodate voters who are unable to visit the office during regular business hours.

Greene County Clerk Susan Fowler predicted turnout will be light with only eight contested races on the entire ballot.

In Linton, Bloomfield and Jasonville there are two contested races each and one race in the town of Worthington.

The only precincts that will conduct an election are: Stockton 5-7; Jefferson 1-2; Wright 1-2-3; and Richland 1-2-3-4.

Fowler said she believes a reason for the lack of interest in the coming election - other than few contested races - is a new Indiana law that removes from election ballots the names of candidates facing no election opponents.

The new ballot provision cleared the Indiana General Assembly this spring as part of a lengthy bill changing various election rules and procedures.

It took effect July 1.

Fowler said not having those unopposed names on the ballot is confusing and will likely keep some people away from the polls.

"Therefore, several of the precinct aren't even going to have an election," Fowler told the Greene County Daily World.

The county clerk said she expects new legislation to be introduced in the next session of the state General Assembly to change that law back to the way it was, but she commented, "We're stuck with it for now."

Voters may contact the Voter's Registration office at 384-2015 if they have any questions.

On the Nov. 8

General Election Ballot

Linton

Ward 5 Council - Kegan Inman (R) vs. Fred Markle (D)

Ward 7 Council - Jared Albright (R) vs. Nigel Lehman (D)

Bloomfield

Ward 1 Council - Doug Frye (D) vs. Homer Abrams (R)

Ward 3 Council - David Harding (R) vs. Paul Hash (D)

Jasonville

Clerk-Treasurer - Charlotte Thomas (D) vs. James R. Seufert (R)

Ward 1 Council - Drew Landry (D) vs. Kent May (R)

Worthington

Clerk-Treasurer - Gloria Klass (D) vs. Jessica Lynn Baker (R)