Garvin County voters with elections on the ballot April 7 will have the option to cast their ballots early as in-person absentee voting, also known as early voting, gets underway April 2 and 3.
The April election date includes special elections for Maysville and Paoli voters, as well as board of education elections for two technology center districts that include portions of Garvin County.
Maysville voters will have two propositions on the April 7 ballot that will amend existing town ordinances if approved. One would change how revenue from a 1% sales tax can be spent and another would alter the town’s clerk-treasurer position from an elected office to an appointed office.
Maysville’s Town Board of Trustees is asking voters to approve an ordinance change regarding how portions of an existing 1% sales tax can be spent. The current ordinance designates that three-eighths of a 1% sales tax passed by Maysville voters in 1988 is to be used to support the public library and the remaining five-eighths is to be used for street resurfacing and repair.
Trustees are asking voters to amend how the portion designated for street repairs can be spent, allowing it to be used for general fund expenditures, specifically to “satisfy the outstanding debts and liabilities of the town of Maysville.”
Maysville voters will also be voting on whether to change the town’s clerk-treasurer position from an elected position to a position that will be appointed by the mayor, with approval by the town board of trustees. The qualifications and duties of the clerk-treasurer would be set by ordinance, and the proposition, if passed, would remove the municipal residency requirement that the position has as an elected office.
Paoli voters will be deciding April 7 whether to approve an ordinance granting a franchise agreement to Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company. The agreement is a renewal of the previous franchise, and gives OG&E the right to produce, transmit and distribute electricity within the town, including constructing and maintaining poles, wires and conduits on city right-of-ways. The 25-year agreement also allows for compensation to the town through a franchise fee paid on the revenue generated from the sale of electricity in Paoli.
Franchise agreement renewals are required by state law to ensure utility companies have ready access to city easement when making distribution system repairs and improvements and are required to be approved by a vote of the people.
Two area technology centers will have board of education elections on Garvin County ballots April 7. Voters in the Mid-America Technology Center district will be deciding between candidates Michael Dillinger and Bruce Bridwell for board position 2 for a fiveyear term.
Garvin County voters living in the Southern Technology Center district will decide between candidates Georganne Westfall and Catherine Roring for board position 3.
Voters can check their registration status, view sample ballots and find their polling place location on the Oklahoma Voter Portal at elections.ok.gov.
Voters who will not be able to make it to the polls on Election Day, have the option of voting early at their County Election Board.
“You do not need to provide an excuse to vote early. Oklahoma allows early voting for all elections conducted through the State Election Board— from school board and municipal elections to state and federal elections. This is a great option for those who will be out of town on Election Day or who want to avoid long lines,” Garvin County Election Board Secretary Holly Levis said.
Early voting is available Thursday, April 2, and Friday, April 3, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the County Election Board, 201 W. Grant Ave. Levis reminds voters that early voting is not available at polling locations.
Regular polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, April 7.
For more information, contact the Garvin County Election Board at 405-2383303 or garvincounty@elections. ok.gov.
