Candidates held forums and made speeches and appearances, but that didn’t make voting any harder for James Rissman, of Carthage, who voted shortly after 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
“I knew my viewpoints and I knew the candidates viewpoints, so that’s how I voted,” Rissman said after he placed his ballot in the ballot box.
Voter turnout was moderate at most polling places in Carthage. A total of 44 voters had cast ballots at the Ward 1 and 2 ballot boxes as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, while 35 people had voted in Ward 3 at the Lighthouse.
Harry Weissenberger, a poll worker at Ward 3, said workers saw the first voter at 6:01 a.m., one minute after polls opened. County Clerk Bonnie Earl said voter were coming out in larger than expected numbers despite the heat.
Voters in Jasper County and across Missouri are casting ballots today to decide who they want to run for a variety of offices on the county, state and federal level on Nov. 2.
They are also voting on a proposal to try to exempt Missouri from many requirements in the federal health care reform bill.
Polls opened at 6 a.m. and will remain open until 7 p.m. Tuesday.
In Jasper County, one-term incumbent Jasper County Presiding Commissioner John Bartosh, 55, rural Carthage, faces a challenge from Jeff Hammons, 48, Carl Junction; David Troyer, 63, Carthage and James Ivan “J” Pendergraft, 49, rural Carthage.
The winner of this race faces an independent challenge from Carthage City Council Member TJ Teed in November.
The race for Jasper County Court Clerk also features three-term incumbent Linda Williams, 69, Carl Junction, and a challenger, Melissa Holcomb, 40, Joplin.
On the state level, three men are running for the Republican nod to represent eastern Jasper County, including Carthage east of River Street, in the Missouri State House.
David Jerome, 54, Everton, William “Bill” Savard, 65, Greenfield; and Mike Kelley, 35, Lamar are running to replace Ed Emery, who cannot run for this office because of term limits.
To the west of Carthage, Charlie Davis, 45, Webb City and Bill Birkes, 69, rural Joplin, nare running to replace Bryan Stevenson in the Missouri House 128th District, which represents Webb City and north Joplin.
Tom Flanigan is running unopposed for the Missouri House 127th District, representing Carthage and north Jasper County while current State House Speaker Ron Richard is running unopposed to replace term-limited Gary Nodler in the Senate seat that represents Newton, Jasper and Dade counties.
No Democrats have filed to run in these races.
Voters also face decisions on who will represent them in the Seventh District U.S. House, U.S. Senate and in the State Auditor’s office.
