Voters will head to the polls Tuesday for their final opportunity to make choices in the 2024 election.
Turnout is expected to be high, fanned by interest in the presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Allen County voters will also decide whether to support a half-cent sales tax proposal to go toward EMS services.
And those who live in County Commission District 3, which encompasses the southern half of Iola and surrounding areas, will choose between Republican John Brocker and Independent Jon Wells. Both have experience in government, with Brocker previously serving six months on the commission back in 2018 and Wells having served as Iola’s mayor and now as an Iola Council member. Current Commissioner Bruce Symes is stepping down.
All other local races are uncontested.
LOCALLY, advance in-person voting has brought in 1,324 votes so far at the Allen County Courthouse. Early voting ends at noon Monday.
The county has 8,938 total registered voters.
County Clerk Shannon Patterson said the early voting numbers reflect the turnout typical of presidential election years. In 2020, more than 1,700 voters cast ballots in advance but the COVID-19 pandemic made that election a bit of an anomaly, Patterson said.
Voters who have requested a mail-in ballot can deposit them in a drop box in front of the courthouse, bring them into the county clerk’s office, or mail them. Ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday and received by Friday to count. Patterson said her office mailed out 449 ballots. So far, 336 have been returned.
UNCONTESTED races include the sheriff and county attorney positions, among others.
Republican Anthony Maness defeated Sheriff Bryan Murphy in the August primary. He is unopposed in the general election.
The county attorney position also offers just one candidate, Republican Brandon Cameron. Current County Attorney Jerry Hathaway chose not to run for re-election; Cameron serves as assistant county attorney.
Incumbent county office holders who were not challenged and will advance to the general election include:
County Commission District 1 representative David E. Lee
County Clerk Shannon Patterson
