Election officials saw an unprecedented turnout of voters heading for the polls at the Polk County Judicial Center on Monday, the first day of early voting for the Nov. 5 General Election. By mid-morning, the line was down the sidewalk and wrapped around the side of the building, with voters being told to prepare for an hour-and-a-half wait.
A total of 2,013 ballots were cast Monday – 1,040 in Livingston, 711 in Onalaska and 262 in Corrigan.
In addition to the presidential and U.S. Senate races, hotly contested races in Livingston for both mayor and city council have piqued peoples’ interest, resulting in the increased voter turnout.
In the first contested mayoral race since 2008, Mayor Judy B. Cochran is being challenged by Joshua Grant.
Cochran has served as mayor for six years and served on the city council for 13 years prior to that. She cites her dedication and experience in serving the community, her involvement in various community initiatives, support for new growth initiatives, and her reputation for fairness and honesty as reasons she is worthy of re-election.
Grant works from home for a company called HSI writing and teaching courses on industrial processes such as power plant operations and refinery operations. He cites his technical expertise and business experience, passion for service, commitment to transparency and fresh approach to governance as reasons he should be elected mayor.
Four people are running for two “at large” positions on the Livingston City Council. Incumbent Alan Cook is seeking re-election and others running include Jennifer Andjelic, Corey Dickerson and Andy Evans. The top two vote-getters will be elected to the council.
Seven people are vying for three “at large” seats in the Livingston ISD School Board Election, meaning the top three vote-getters will be elected to the board. Those running include Incumbents Bea Ellis and John Allen Slocomb, as well as Dustin Andreas, Steven Earl Grimm Jr., Christopher Moehlmann, Megan Murphy Rowe and Howard William Smith.
Five people are vying for four “at large” seats in the Leggett ISD School Board Election, meaning the top four vote-getters will be elected to the board. Incumbents Curtis Jefferson, Robert Nowlin, Tommie Collins and Kevin Willson are running, as is Zachary Johnson.
Tensions have run especially high this election season, not only nationally, but locally as well.
All news stories that run in the Polk County Enterprise are fact-checked for accuracy and letters to the editor urging voters to vote for or against candidates in local elections are also fact-checked and are not accepted beginning two weeks prior to the start of early voting.
Political advertising is a different beast altogether though. The Enterprise will not knowingly publish factually incorrect information. However, advertising representatives are not required to verify the information in political ads.
“You are not required to verify the information in the ad,” Thomas S. Leatherbury, director of the First Amendment Clinic at SMU Dedman School of Law, whose area of expertise is first amendment law, said.
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling that the freedom of speech protections in the First Amendment restrict the ability of public officials, including candidates, to sue for defamation. The decision held that if a plaintiff in a defamation lawsuit is a public official or candidate for public office, then not only must they prove the normal elements of defamation – publication of a false defamatory statement to a third party – they must also prove that the statement was made with “actual malice,” meaning the defendant either knew the statement was false or recklessly disregarded whether it might be false.
Early voting in Polk County features extended hours, as well as the addition of a Saturday and Sunday.
Three locations – open to all registered voters – are available for early voting. The three locations are the Polk County Judicial Center at 101 W. Mill St. in Livingston, the Sechrest Webster Community Center at 100 W. Front St. in Corrigan and the Onalaska Sub-Courthouse at 14111 US Hwy. 190 West in Onalaska. Voters may vote at ANY of the three locations.
Polling places for the first week of early voting, through Friday, will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at all three locations. Voters may vote early from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday or from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, also at all three locations.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at all three locations during the second week of early voting, Oct. 28-Nov. 1.
