This fall, Johnson County voters will have multiple contested races to decide for local, state and federal offices.
In the 2014 general election, not a single one of 36 local races from county sheriff to township trustees were contested, as Democrats and Libertarians didn’t field any candidates of their own.
But this year, with nearly all of those same local positions again up for election again, a dozen races will require voters to make a choice as to who they want representing them. Some of the contested races include ones for sheriff, recorder and clerk. Voters will also be casting ballots in multiple contested state and federal races, including a race for U.S. Senate that has drawn national attention.
Having contested races is good for both ensuring that people have a choice in who is representing them and for increasing the number of people who come out to vote on Election Day, Johnson County Clerk Sue Misiniec said.
“I think we should have that competition,” she said. “That is what the country is founded on — representation and the right to have that representation.”
Also on this year’s ballot: school board races, which are often popular with voters, Misiniec said.
Local school districts have 15 school board positions up for election this fall, which typically draw more candidates than other local races, Misiniec said. School boards are in charge of hiring and reviewing superintendents, set the spending of local schools and make decisions on key projects, such as building new schools or redistricting.
“School boards always bring out people,” Misiniec said. “That is close to heart, the kids and what is going on with the school.”
Residents interesting in serving on a school board will have about a month to file to run, with filing beginning July 25 and ending Aug. 24. Other deadlines to add candidates to the ballot have already passed. One independent candidate filed to be added to the ballot.
Getting people interested in local government is important to the success of a community, since many of the decisions that impact residents’ daily lives, from property tax rates to road projects, are made by these elected officials.
“Local government is where many issues start, which is why these positions are important,” she said.
The increase in contested races should help encourage voter turnout, Misiniec said.
In 2014, with few contested local races on the ballot, 24 percent of voters cast a ballot in the general election. But in 2010, when voters were selecting candidates for sheriff, school board and public questions on the ballot, turnout was 44 percent.
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With the general election about four months away, here are some key dates leading up to Election Day:
July 25: Candidate filing for school board elections begins
Aug. 24: Candidate filing for school board elections ends at noon
Oct. 9: Final day for voter registration
Oct. 10: Early voting begins
Nov. 6: General election with polls open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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