Voters Go to the Polls Next Week

Voters in Blaine County may begin casting their votes for the Aug. 23 primary runoff on Thursday at the County Election Board in Watonga. Election Board Secretary Brenda Rice said the Election Board is located in the basement of the courthouse at 212 N. Weigle Street in Watonga.

Rice explained early voting will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Aug. 18 and 19, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20.

On Election Day next Tuesday, voters must go to their respective precincts to cast their votes.

Of special interest to area voters in various precincts will be a Republican State Senate runoff, a race for County Commissioner District 3, a city of Watonga proposition and a Geary School District bond proposal.

Voters in precincts 10, 11 and 12 will cast ballots on a city of Watonga proposed franchise agreement to be entered into with CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp./Summit Utilities.

Rice said Republican voters in precincts 10, 12 and 22 will decide a District 26 Republican Senate runoff between incumbent Darcy Allen Jech and challenger Brady Butler. The winner of the race wins a four-year term, as there is no other candidate seeking that legislative seat.

Republican voters in those precincts also will choose a new District 3 County commissioner in the race between Tracy Matli and Allen Cowan. The current commissioner is retiring at the end of his term Dec. 31, Rice said.

Republican voters in precincts 2, 7, 11, 16, 17 and 20 will also help choose the winner in the district 26 State Senate contest.

Voters in precincts 16 and 17 will vote on a $30,720,000 school bond issue for the Geary school district.

Geary School Supt. Sean Buchanan said if approved, the funds will be used to construct a whole new campus.

Democrat voters in all precincts will help decide the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator between Madison Horn and Jason Bollinger.

The winner in that race faces incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. James Lankford in the Nov. 8 General Election.