City residents to vote by wards this year

To avoid confusion at the polls, city and county officials want to remind Shelbyville voters about an important change in the City Council election next month.

Only city residents in Wards 1, 3 and 5 will be voting for council positions on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

"It's our first time that we will have our (city council) election in November," City Manager Ed Craig said. "Elections have always been in June."

However, in May 2005, the council voted to amend the city's charter, moving the election to November and requiring that Shelbyville would no longer have "at large" voting, where any city resident could vote in all city council races.

"This time, you can only vote for the council race that is in the ward where you live," Craig explained. If you live in wards 1, 3 or 5, you will vote only for your individual council representative, not in the other two races. If you live in wards 2, 4 or 6, you won't be voting in council races at all this year. Those wards will be up for election in 2010.

Incumbent council member Jo Ann Holland is running against challenger Bobby Parker in Ward 1. Incumbent Kay Rose is up against Chad Graham in Ward 3 and in Ward 5, incumbent Randy Vernon is running against former council member Jean Pruitt.

At the county election commission, administrator of elections Summer Leverette says there has been no confusion about the change so far, but when early voting starts on Oct. 15, she is expecting questions.

"There hasn't been much publicity about the change," she said. An ad will also be appearing in the Times-Gazette about the change, Leverette added.

Citizens will still vote according to in their same precincts, "it's just that everyone in the city may think they can vote (for council seats), and they can't."

But Leverette says when early voting starts on Oct. 15, she and her staff will be ready to clear up any confusion.