Early voting continues ahead of primary election

Early voting is currently underway for the primary election, and will continue for another week before the May 10 election day.

Cheyenne County Clerk Beth Fiegenschuh said voter registration across the state is higher than it has been in previous years, and she is hoping for a better turnout in Cheyenne County as well.

“In the past, 20 to 22 percent has kind of been the average,” said Fiegenschuh, who serves as election commissioner for the county. “It’s not very good, but it might pick up with the press that this election has received.”

Early voting began on April 11, with in-person voting and ballot pickup at the county clerk’s office located in the Cheyenne County Courthouse in Sidney. Fiegenschuh said for voters who are unable to physically visit the clerk’s office can have an agent pick up a ballot on their behalf.

“You can be an agent for two voters only,” Fiegenschuh said. “Just come in and sign as an agent. It doesn’t have to be a relation.”

Wednesday, May 4, at 4 p.m. is the last day to request an application for early voting ballots to be mailed out to a specific address.

For voters looking to cast their ballot early in person, Fiegenschuh said a couple of voting booths for are set up inside the county courthouse. Voters can enter the booth and fill our their ballot, which are then placed in an envelope and finally the ballot box in the clerk’s office.

“And those will be counted on election night,” Fiegenschuh said.

Early voting at the county courthouse ends Monday, May 9, at 5 p.m. The deadline for return of early voting ballots in-person is no later than 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10.

“But they have to bring them back here,” Fiegenschuh said. “They can’t return them to the polls. The only way to vote at the polls is in person, and you have to vote there.”

The statewide primary election day is Tuesday, May 10, with polls opening at 7 a.m. The polling location for Sidney’s five precincts is at the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds, located on the west edge of Sidney along Highway 30, along with one each in Gurley, Dalton, Lodgepole and Potter.

“There is no voting on election day in this office,” Fiegenschuh said. “But an agent can still pick up an early voting ballot for someone and take it to them on election day.”

The polls will close at 7 p.m. Fiegenschuh said they will begin counting early votes as soon as the polls close, and will continue with the votes from election day as they arrive from the precinct polling locations.

“It’s a really, really long day for my staff,” she said.

Once counted, the results will be unofficial until the canvassing board counts provisional ballots and reviews the results on Thursday, May 12, at 2 p.m.

For Cheyenne County, three Republican candidates are on the primary ballot for county commissioner in district 1: incumbent Steven L. Olson of Lodgepole, and challengers Randy Miller and Michael J. Palmer, both of Sidney.

Cheyenne County also has two locals running for the State Legislature among the four on the ballot. The four candidates for District 47 are Wendall F. Gaston and Peggy Popps of Sidney, along with Karl Elmshaeuser of Ogallala and Steve Erdman of Bayard.

Several candidates for positions with the Sidney city council, the airport authority and the Sidney, Creek Valley, Leyton and Potter-Dix school boards also filed for nomination in the primary election. However, since the number of candidates do not exceed two for each position to be filled, they are instead declared nominated and their names will not appear on the primary election ballot.

For President of the United States, the Republican candidates in the primary election are Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, John R. Kasich, Marco Rubio and Donald J. Trump. Democratic candidates are Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, and Libertarian candidates are Marc Feldman, Gary Johnson, Steve Kerbel, John McAfee and Austin Petersen.

Republican Adrian Smith of Gering is the sole candidate for Congress in Nebraska’s third district.

Two Republican candidates, Jerry Vap of McCook and Mary Ridder of Callaway, are on the primary ballot for public service commissioner in district 5.

Bob Phares of North Platte is the sole candidate on the primary ballot for member of the board of regents for the University of Nebraska in district 7.

According to the registered voters report published April 1 and available online at the Nebraska Secretary of State website, Cheyenne County has 4,161 registered Republican voters, 1,237 registered Democrat voters, 1,336 nonpartisan voters and 42 registered Libertarian voters for a grand total of 6,776 registered voters.

The general election will be held Nov. 8.