Those hoping to claim a local elected position had until Tuesday, Jan. 15, to throw their names into the hat. Enthusiastic residents have filed for offices from a variety of area school boards, local governments and water districts.
Absentee balloting begins Feb. 19 and must be submitted -- via mail, fax, or in office -- by 5 p.m. March 27. Voters can apply to receive an absentee ballot from the county clerk's office either in person or by fax. After application forms are completed, they are to be returned to the county clerk's office for processing, after which an absentee ballot can be secured. For more information, call 417-223-7512.
Voters casting an absentee ballot must provide a legitimate reason for doing so. Secretary of State John R. Ashcroft's website lists the following as valid reasons for voting absentee:
• Absence on election day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which such voter is registered to vote;
• Incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability, including a person who is primarily responsible for the physical care of a person who is incapacitated or confined due to illness or disability;
• Employment as an election authority, as a member of an election authority, or by an election authority at a location other than such voter's polling place; and
• Incarceration, provided all qualifications for voting are retained.
The following is a list of seats available on area boards of education. Names of the current incumbents are listed followed by individuals who have filed for election. All school board positions are for three-year terms unless otherwise noted.
• McDonald County School Board -- Chris Smith and Frank Woods. Smith and Woods have filed for re-election, while Nick Martin is seeking a seat on the board.
• Neosho School Board -- Jonathan Russell and Stuart H. Puckett. Russell and Puckett have filed for re-election, while Kevin Butler and David K. Steele are seeking seats on the board.
• East Newton School Board -- Judy Harper and Julie McGill. Harper has filed for re-election, while Bryan Johnson, Charles "Chuck" Cook, Tracy Gorman White and Martin Luther Dzerzhensky Lindstedt are seeking seats on the board.
• Wheaton School Board -- Dan Goostree and Chis Park. Park has filed for re-election, while Jeff Pettingill is seeking a seat on the board.
• Seneca School Board -- Suzanne Brown and Preston Olson. Olson has filed for re-election, while Roger Marrs and James Altic are seeking seats on the board.
• Southwest R-V School Board -- Bobby Stephens and Brian Robbins. Robbins has filed for re-election, while Diana Roller and Bobby Brooks are seeking seats on the board.
Municipal openings with incumbent names are listed. All are for two-year terms unless otherwise noted:
• Anderson (8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) -- East Ward Alderman, Gene Cantrell; West Ward Alderman, Chester Neel. Cantrell and Neel have filed for re-election.
• Noel (9 a.m. until noon; 1 to 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) -- Mayor, Lewis Davis; Collector, Nancy Irish; North Ward Alderman, Allie Peck; South Ward Alderman, Steve Powell; West Ward Alderman, Faye Davis. Lewis Davis, Irish, Powell and Faye Davis have filed for re-election, while Steve Kelly has filed for Mayor, Terry Lance and Kristina Hartley have filed for South Ward Alderman and Reid Schmit has filed for West Ward Alderman.
• Lanagan (8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday) -- All alderman positions are at-large. At the time of publication, city officials were not available to provide information on open positions.
• Goodman (7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) -- Mayor, Greg Richmond; Collector, Megan Sexson; North Ward Alderman, Alice Kezar; South Ward Alderman, Ron Johnson. Richmond, Sexson and Johnson have filed for re-election, while Ed Tuomala has filed for North Ward Alderman.
• Pineville (8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) -- North Ward Alderman, Becky Davis; South Ward Alderman, Florence Ann Crowder-Sanders. Davis and Crowder-Sanders have filed for re-election.
• Southwest City (8 a.m. until noon; 1 to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday) -- Mayor, David Blake; East Ward Alderman, Steve Reece; West Ward Alderman, Gloria Armstrong*. Blake has filed for re-election while Armstrong has filed for East Ward Alderman.
* Armstrong was appointed to the position despite living in another district. As a result, she is not eligible to file for re-election in the West Ward but can file for election in the East Ward.
Rural water district positions are all for three-year terms, set up by sub-districts:
• Rural Water District No. 1 (7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday - Friday) -- Sub-district 1, Todd Clay; Sub-district 3, Roger Morey. Janice Coberley has filed for sub-district 1.
• Rural Water District No. 2 (8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Mondays, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday - Friday) -- Sub-district 5, Terry Cox.
• Rural Water District No. 3 (call 417-762-7167 for times to register) -- At the time of publication, officials were not available to provide information on open positions or filings.
Community on 01/17/2019