By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Local candidates took to the stage last Tuesday in a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters. That means Election Day is just around the corner. Barton County Clerk Bev Schmeidler reminds voters of some important dates prior to the election.
"The voter registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 14, so that means early voting can start Wednesday, Oct. 15 in our office," she said. "We have everything ready to go, so we will start early voting Wednesday morning. You can vote from 8 a.m to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, when we're open. (Early voting) ends on Nov. 3 at noon."
Polling locations will then be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. throughout the county on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Early voting gives residents an extra two weeks to vote. The goal is to make elections accessible to all voters. Despite those efforts, few turn out in the odd-numbered years. Nearly 60 percent of Barton County voters turned out in the 2016 general election that included a presidential race. That number fell to 24 percent in the 2017 general election for local seats.
"The municipal elections are generally a much lower turnout than gubernatorial and presidential years," Schmeidler said. "The city councils, mayors, and school boards, they touch your everyday lives. I wish we could get a higher turnout."
Fewer than 25 percent of eligible Barton County voters hit the polls in 2019. The presidential races in 2020 and 2024 brought out 68 and 63 percent of county voters, respectively. Local results will be posted on Great Bend Post.com on Election Night.