While many spots on Jennings County’s ballot for the Nov. 8 general election have been set, a few more will be finalized soon.
The deadline to file for candidacy for the Jennings County School Board is noon Aug. 26.
Some changes to the ballot already have occurred.
“We have had a couple of additions to the ticket since the primary but all requirements were met for that so there was no problem,” said Brenda King, Jennings County’s elections deputy.
Bill Wright met the requirement for signatures and the June 30 deadline to file to run as an independent candidate for county commissioner in District 1.
The Jennings County Democratic Party selected Helen Taylor by caucus to run for an at-large seat on the county council. A spot on the ballot can be filled by a party when it has no candidate appear on the ballot in the primary.
Filling spots on the ballot seems to be running smoothly, King said. However, she expressed concern about a change to straight-ticket voting and how voters would receive it.
“However, we are concerned about a new law that will change how we vote in November. We do want to make sure everyone is aware of how Public Law 21-2016 is going to change haw people who vote a straight party ticket must vote,” she said.
In the past, if a voter cast a straight party vote, they did not have to vote individually in races for seats on a county council, city council, town council or township board.
However, Public Law 21-2016, which took effect in March, states that anyone voting a straight party ticket now must additionally mark votes for individual persons running in a multiple-seat category such as county council, city council, town council or township board. If a person does not vote individually for each candidate in a multiple-seat race, the vote will not count.
Since the school board is a non-partisan board, a person voting a straight party ticket also would have to vote for school board members individually.
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Upcoming important election deadlines:
Aug 29: Noon; last chance to withdraw a write-in candidacy or a candidacy for school board.
Sept. 2: Noon; for filing a challenge of a candidate for school board.
Sept. 6: to withdraw a public question
Sept 9: to rule on challenge of candidacy from early ballot vacancy or petition of nomination.
Sept 24: Last day to mail out absentee ballots from all applications received.
Oct 11: Voter registration ends
Oct 12: First day of in-person early voting at the courthouse.
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