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This is a busy time for the offices of our local voting registrars. Early voting for the Nov. 7 elections has been underway since Sept. 22 and will continue through Nov. 4. Much is to be decided in these elections and we encourage local voters to cast ballots – to participate in our representative democracy.
There are 32 offices up for grabs on Rockbridge area ballots with 43 candidates whose names will appear on the ballots. There are 18 uncontested races. At least two offices will be determined by write-in votes – no candidates qualified to get their names on the ballots for one of three Glasgow Town Council seats and one of two Rockbridge County seats on the Natural Bridge Soil and Water Conservation District board.
As of Tuesday morning, 502 county residents, or approximately 3 percent of registered voters, had cast in-person ballots. Absentee ballots had been mailed to an additional 567 county voters who requested them. In Buena Vista, 51 residents (1.2 percent of registered voters) had cast in-person ballots and absentee ballots had been mailed to an additional 121 voters. In Lexington, 115 residents (2.8 percent of registered voters) had cast in-person ballots and absentee ballots had been mailed to an additional 198 voters.
The deadline for registering to vote is this Monday, Oct. 16, at 5 p.m. Registered voters can cast early ballots at the offices of their local voting registrars during regular office hours on weekdays and on the final two Saturdays before the Nov. 7 elections on Oct. 28 and Nov. 4. Mail-in ballots must be requested by Oct. 27; returned mail-in ballot must be postmarked by Nov. 7 and received by Nov. 13.
Here are the elective offices and candidates whose names will appear on the ballots for the Nov. 7 elections: Buena Vista City Council (three seats) – Stanley Coffey, Steve Webb, Michele Casale, Jennifer Humphrey, Cheryl Hickman, Michelle Poluikis, Ronald Cash.
Buena Vista mayor – Tyson Cooper.
Buena Vista School Board (three seats) Teresa Ellison, Mac Felts, Wayne Flint, Brooke Baker, Paula Charleton.
Buena Vista treasurer – Amy Hudson. Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors – (Buffalo District) Leslie Ayers, Mack Smith; (Natural Bridge District) David McDaniel; (South River District) Bob Day.
Rockbridge County School Board – (Natural Bridge) Kathy Burant; (Buffalo District) Lenna Ojure, Anne Russek; (Walkers Creek) Neil Whitmore.
Rockbridge County and Lexington sheriff – Steve Funkhouser.
Rockbridge County and Lexington commonwealth’s attorney – Jared Moon.
Rockbridge County clerk of Circuit Court – Michelle Trout.
Rockbridge County commissioner of revenue – Brooke Tomlin.
Rockbridge County treasurer – Michele Clark, Melissa “Missy” Whitesell, (Wendy Gilliam dropped out of race but name will still be on ballot).
Glasgow mayor – Paul Williams, Joshua L. Fitz.
Glasgow Town Council - (three seats) Lisa Rogers, Tom Camden.
Natural Bridge Soil and Water Conservation District – (Rockbridge County, two seats) Timothy Goodbar; (Lexington, two seats) Charles Winder, Beecher “Billy” Grose Jr.; (Buena Vista, two seats) Herbie Huffman, Robert Deyo.
House of Delegates, District 36 – Republican Ellen Campbell, Democrat Randall Wolf.
House of Delegates, District 37 – Republican Terry Austin, Democrat Stephanie Clark.
State Senate, District 3 – Republican Christopher Head, Democrat Jade Harris.
So, get out there and vote. To find out more about these candidates, read the profiles of them that are being published in The News-Gazette this month.
