Early voting gets underway today for next Tuesday’s Aug. 27 primary runoff election. Voters can cast their ballots at the Lincoln and Pottawatomie County Election Boards today through Saturday.
Two high profile races are on the ballot in Lincoln County for the Sheriff and State House District 32.
Candidates for Sheriff include Aaron Bennett and Kevin Garrett. The winner will succeed Sheriff Charlie Dougherty, who is retiring. Garrett led Bennett by three votes in the June 18 primary.
Bennett is currently a Sergeant at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Garrett is retired from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, currently working as a criminal investigator for an area police department The State House District 32 contest features five-term incumbent Rep. Kevin Wallace,w who is being challenged by Jim Shaw. Shaw led Wallace in the June 18 primary.
Only Republicans in Lincoln County can cast their ballots in these two races since the candidates are from that party.
Also on the ballot for some county voters are a $10 million school bond proposition in the Wellston School District, two school bond proposals totaling $31,085,000 in the McLoud School District and two propositions for voters in Davenport.
Davenport residents will decide whether the Clerk shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees and if the Treasurer should be appointed by the Board of Trustees.
Lincoln County voters residing in the Paden School District have two propositions to decide, one a $525,000 bond issue and the other a $265,000 bond proposal.
In Pottawatomie County, voters in County Commissioner District 2 will decide between incumbent Greg Rush and challenger Scott Hawkins, both Republicans.
Also in Pottawatomie County, voters in the McLoud School District will help decide those two bond propositions.
Lincoln County Election Board Secretary Melissa Stambaugh and Pottawatomie County Election Board Secretary Patricia Carter remind voters that that early voting will be available today (Thursday) and Friday, Aug. 22 and 23, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at their respective Election Boards.
In Lincoln County, the Election Board is located at the Courthouse at 811 Manvel Ave., Chandler, and in Pottawatomie County it’s at 330 N Broadway, Shawnee. Both of them remind voters that early voting is not available at polling locations.
On Tuesday, Aug. 27, voters must go to their respective precincts to vote.