Preparations underway for Election Day

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Voters across the Ozarks will head to polls tomorrow to cast their ballots on a number of issues, and election officials in Greene County say preparations are already well underway.

Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller said he expects voter turnout to be around 14 to 16%. He said important issues usually drive higher turnout, but school board races also serve as motivators for people to get out and vote.

“Whether it’s your child, your grandchild, or a friend’s children in that school system, you wanna make sure you’re giving that child the best education possible and it starts right there with the school board,” Schoeller said.

In Springfield, seven candidates are running for three open positions on the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education. Those board members will serve a three year term if elected.

Voters will also decide whether to change the mayor’s term from two to four years. City Council members already have four-year term limits and if the measure passes, the maximum amount of years a mayor can serve is still eight.

In Stone County, they are hoping voters will pass a measure that would add a new ambulance district. Right now, only four ambulances are serving all of Stone County. If the measure passes, they hope to add two more ambulances and shorten response times. The ambulance district would be paid for by a sales tax increase of 1/2 of a percent.

Polls will open tomorrow at 6 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. If you know you can’t vote tomorrow, you can head to the Greene County Election Center or the Library Center in Springfield to cast your ballot early.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com.