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HARTINGTON – Cedar County Clerk Jessica Schmit mailed 1,159 ballots out last week for the special election in the Randolph School District.
The school district encompasses voters from not only Cedar County but also Wayne and Pierce counties. Schmit will be the one coordinating the three-county election from her office in Hartington.
While those in Cedar County are used to receiving ballots by mail, voters in Pierce and Wayne counties will also be receiving their ballots by mail and not going to a polling place for the special bond election, she said. Ballots must be returned by 5 p.m., Tuesday, May 13. As of Monday at 5 p.m., 145 Cedar County ballots had already been returned to the County Clerk’s office Schmit said. Seven ballots were also returned from Wayne and Pierce counties, combined, she said. This represents 13.5% of the total ballots mailed out.
Of this number, 16 were returned to the Clerk’s office by the Post Office as undeliverable so Schmit is trying to reach those individuals with mailing addresses still in the Randolph school district.
Approximately 87 percent of registered voters from Cedar County living with the Randolph School District cast a vote in the 2024 General Election.
One significant change for a special election is that those returning ballots by mail must stamp the return envelope, Schmit said. In a primary or general election, the postage is paid.
Return envelopes will be addressed to the Cedar County Clerk’s Office regardless of what county the voter lives in.
Voters can also return ballots in person at their respective county clerk’s office or at ballot drop boxes at their respective county courthouses.
The sheriff’s offices in Pierce and Wayne counties will be hand delivering any ballots that come into those counties to Cedar County on election night.
