Early voting begins today in Lincoln and Pottawatomie Counties for the April 1 election where voters have several municipal contests, school board races and bond issues to decide.
In Pottawatomie County, all voters can help decide whether to make a county education sales tax permanent.
Early voting is available at the Lincoln County Election Board at the Lincoln County Courthouse, 811 Manvel Ave., in Chandler and at the Pottawatomie County Election Board at 231 N. Broadway, Shawnee from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
Lincoln County Election Board Secretary Dena Jo Bromley and Pottawatomie County Election Board Secretary Patricia Carter said early voting is open to all voters. Both said early voting is not available at polling locations.
They both stressed, “You do not need to provide an excuse to vote early.”
In Lincoln County, voters will decide the following school board contests.
Stroud, Office No. 5, Aaron Grill and Eric M. Bradley.
McLoud Public Schools, Office No. 5, John Stotts and Dustin Conley.
Wellston Public Schools, Office No. 5, Christa Coover and Jimmy Weathers. Wellston voters also have two school bond propositions on the ballot, one is for $605,000 and the other is for $145,000.
Gordon Cooper Technology Center, Office No. 5, (unexpired term) Casey Wayne Bell and Dennis Morris.
Oak Grove Public School Elementary School District, Office No. 2, Stuart Shoemake and Phillip Kelly.
Municipal races in Lincoln County include: City of Stroud: Ward 3 council member, Caleb Ball and Kyle Anderson.
Ward 4 council member, Terry Millus and Gary P. Babinec Council member at large, Jeff Stiner and Marvin Johnson.
Town of Warwick, Town Clerk, Heather Franklin and Joseph Aaron Schmitt.
Town of Tryon Board of Trustees, (vote for two), Jenna Knipp, Rocky Cooper, Mary Lee Meisner and Nathan Jones.
Town of Wellston Board of Trustees, (vote for three) Brandon Hunt, Stacey L. Russell, Lynlee Bouska, Tyer Christy, Levi Bouska, Erik Boyd, Dorothy Swanda and Patricia Parker.
School board contests in Pottawatomie County include: Gordon Cooper Technology Center Office No. 5, (unexpired term)m Casey Wayne Bell and Dennis Morris.
McLoud Office No. 5, John Stotts and Dustin Conley.
The .00495 cent county sales tax for 14 public school districts to make it permanent.
One Municipal contest in the City of McLoud for Council Member Ward No. 4, Thomas Morris and Roger D. White.
For questions, please contact the Election Board at (405) 2581349 or lincolncounty@elections.ok.gov.
The Pottawatomie County Election Board is located at 231 N. Broadway, Shawnee and is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and on Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For questions, please contact the Election Board at (405) 273-8376 or pottawatomiecounty@elections.ok.gov.