Getting informed before elections
Election day is fast approaching and now is the time to get informed about the candidates. When there are many candidates running for an office it can seem an overwhelming task to become an informed voter and know where each one stands on the issues.
On a local level voters will be choosing school board and city council officials this November.
Two races are especially competitive this year – the Byron School Board and the Kasson-Mantorville School Board.
In the Byron District voters asked to fill six vacancies on the board. The large number of vacancies is the result of three resignations of board members since November 2020. This has caused three two-year term vacancies and three four-year term vacancies to be on the ballot. Seven candidates have filed for the two-year term vacancies and four have filed for the four-year term vacancies.
In the Kasson-Mantorville district seven candidates have filed for three positions on the board and an additional four people have filed for one open spot in a special election for a board member.
In Hayfield, four candidates have filed for three positions while in Triton there are four candidates for four positions.
To help Byron voters make their decisions, the Byron PTO will host a “Meet the Candidates Night on Thursday, October 6, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Byron Middle School. This will be a “meet and greet” format.
The Byron Education Association will host a candidate forum at Byron High School on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. For this session candidates will be issued questions in advance and will be asked to be on stage to answer those questions.
No candidate forums have yet been announced for Kasson-Mantorville but that will likely happen before election day.
There are fewer contested races in city elections although in West Concord there are five candidates for the two open council seats.
In Byron, two candidates have filed for the two spots on the City Council.
In Claremont, there are two candidates for mayor and one candidate for city council where there are two positions open.
In Dodge Center, there is one candidate for mayor and two for the two open council positions. In Hayfield, there two candidates for council and one for the mayor’s position.
Kasson has two candidates in the race for mayor and two seeking council seats. One candidate is seeking to fill an open seat in a special council election.
Mantorville also has two candidates seeking the mayor position and two filing for two council seats and one to fill an open seat in a special election.
Between now and election day on November 8 it can be expected that more candidate forums will be scheduled and the DCI will be publishing a voters’ guide in October.
Early voting is now open in Minnesota and this is a good time to be become an informed voter.
Attend candidate forums in your area as they are scheduled, listen to the candidates, and ask questions.
Then, when you mark that ballot you will know who and what you are voting for.