By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Barton County Clerk's office continues to handle issues that could throw a wrench in elections. First, there was the move to the new facility at 1500 Kansas Ave. in Great Bend. Then there were power outages that closed county operations on Monday. Clerk Bev Schmeidler announced Tuesday that early voting has started for the USD 112 Central Plains disorganization matter that will be decided across five counties on Aug. 1.
"Ellsworth County is the home county, so we're just doing the Barton County voters in that school district," she said. "We started early voting (Tuesday), and we'll continue to do so until Monday at noon on July 31. That's when early voting will close and Election Day is on Aug. 1. They'll have to go to the polling place in Claflin at that time."
Advanced voting for the special election was already underway in Ellsworth, Russell, Rice, and Lincoln counties. Sunday's storms prevented Barton County from beginning its election on Monday. Voting will take place in an old fitting room inside the former JC Penney building. Chris Saenz with the clerk's office cut the fitting room doors to make shelves for four voting machines, including one for patrons who wish to be seated while voting. Another fitting room may be used for those wanting a paper ballot. Schmeidler said the new facility is just as secure as the office in the courthouse. Even the vents in the fitting room have been blocked to enhance security.
"It's a totally enclosed room here," she said. "There's only one entry and that's a steel door that is double-bolted and we have a security system on. In the courthouse, we have our door that we can lock, then our things within there are locked in a cage. We don't have that so we're kind of exposed. We've been very careful about that."
A "no" vote in the election would mean keeping USD 112 intact, as is. A "yes" vote would mean disorganizing the district and turning decisions over to the state board of education. CLICK HERE for a list of polling locations on Aug. 1.