Dateline: April 23, 2009

Early voting gets started next week

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Early voting by personal appearance begins Monday in four local elections.

Balloting in two elections – the City of Clarendon and the Donley County Hospital District – is being conducted by the Donley County Clerk’s Office in the Courthouse Annex during regular business hours.

City voters will choose between incumbent Chris Ford and Alderman Tommy Hill for the mayor’s position, and incumbents Terry Noble and Ann Huey are being challenged by Larry Hicks and Jeff King for two positions on the Board of Aldermen.

County voters will choose three members of the Donley County Hospital Board. Billy Ray Johnston and Jeannie Owens are running for Place One, Tammy Owen and Bright Newhouse III are running for Place 2, and incumbent Melinda McAnear is the sole candidate for Place 3.

The City of Howardwick will conduct its balloting at City Hall. Voters of that city have only one candidate for mayor, Dell Essary, but will decide between three candidates for two positions on the Board of Aldermen: incumbent Gene Rogers, Norm Haygood, and Louise Popplewell.

The Hedley Consolidated Independent School District will hold early voting in the school business office from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Travis Thomas, Shelby Shipp, Carole Ward, Gwynne Howard, and Lana Wallendorff Ritchie are all running for two positions on the Board of Trustees.

All local offices are elected at-large. Voters for the cities of Howardwick and Clarendon and for the Donley County Hospital District can take advantage of extended voting hours on April 30 and May 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Hedley school will not have extended voting hours.