McAlester News-Capital, McAlester, OK

Local News

July 7, 2009

Sales tax hike on Savanna ballot

From staff reports

Wednesday is the last day for Savanna voters to apply for mailed absentee ballots for the July 14 special election.

The measure on next week’s ballot would raise the city sales tax in Savanna from 3 percent to 5 percent to fund capital improvements to the town’s sanitary sewer system, for the acquisition of additional land if needed for the improvements, and for maintenance, including maintenance of the existing sewer system.

According to Pittsburg County Election Board Secretary Cathy Thornton, qualified voters have until 5 p.m. Wednesday to deliver applications to the board if they want to vote by a mailed absentee ballot.

Voters who wish to have an absentee ballot mailed to them for the Special Municipal Election at Savanna may apply in person — at 10 E. Washington Ave. in McAlester — or by phone or telegraph. The fax number for the Election Board is 423-7088.

In addition to mailed absentee ballots, qualified voters may cast in-person absentee ballots at the Election Board on Friday or Monday in advance of the Tuesday, July 14, election. A two-member, bipartisan Absentee Voting Board will be on duty at the Election Board during those two days, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., to assist in-person absentee voters.

“In-person absentee voters fill out an application form when they get to the office,” Thornton said of the process for in-person absentee voting. “They are not required to give a reason for voting absentee.

“They are required to swear that they have not voted a regular mail absentee ballot and that they will not vote at their polling place on election day.”

According to Thornton, the Absentee Voting Board verifies a voter’s registration information, then issues the voter a ballot. The voter marks the ballot in a voting booth and then puts it in the voting device.

“It is very much like voting at a precinct polling place,” Thornton said.

As with in-person absentee voting, any registered voter eligible to vote in the election may cast an absentee ballot by mail without stating a reason, Thornton said. In addition, voters may apply for absentee ballots for the following reasons:

• Registered voters who are physically incapacitated and voters who care for physically incapacitated persons who cannot be left unattended may apply for absentee ballots only by mail, by fax, or by telegraph.

• Registered voters who are confined to nursing homes in the county may apply only by mail, by fax, or by telegraph.

• Military personnel, residents of Pittsburg County living overseas and the spouses and dependents of each group are entitled to vote without being registered. They may apply only by mail or by fax.

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