Only one candidate has filed so far for Bartels’ seat

HARTINGTON — With only a few days left to file, only one person has put his name in to succeed Craig Bartels as the District 2 Cedar County commissioner.

Bartels decided not to seek reelection after two terms in office.

Mike Meier, Laurel, filed his paperwork with the Cedar County Clerk’s Office earlier this month to seek the seat representing District 2, including Coleridge, Laurel and Randolph.

The filing deadline for incumbents was Feb. 15. New candidates have until Friday, March 1, to file with the county clerk’s office for any race appearing on the May 14 primary election ballot.

Meier, a lifelong Cedar County resident, has owned and operated his own business, Laurel Welding, for the past 18 years and has a background in farming and trucking.

He has not held any public office previously.

In other candidate filings, Carol Erwin filed for re-election in the hopes of maintaining her seat on the Laurel-Concord-Coleridge School Board. Dustin Thompson and Samuel Recob also have expiring board terms, but did not file for re-election.

For the Laurel city races, Mayor Keith Knudsen and Councilman Justin Eriksen both refiled for another term in office.

Another incumbent, Chad Johnson, chose not to seek another term in office.

Already, two new candidates have filed for the Coleridge Village Board: Dennis Heitman and Jesse Jackson.

Village board races, like in Belden, Coleridge, Fordyce, St. Helena and Wynot, will appear on the general election ballot only, so those filing deadlines are later this summer.

The general election is set for Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Residents can look up their voter registration or register to vote online through the Nebraska Secretary of State website, sos.nebraska.gov/elections/ elections-division. There is also a form available online or in person at the county clerk’s office.

The Secretary of State’s Office indicates there are more than 1.2 million active registered voters in the state – more than 600,000 registered Republicans; more than 330,000 registered Democrats; about 18,000 Libertarians; about 5,000 for the Legal Marijuana NOW Party; and more than 260,000 who vote nonpartisan.

In 2022, Nebraska voters approved a constitutional amendment requiring voters to show ID. In June 2023, the governor signed into law LB514, the bill putting voter ID into effect.

Educational materials on Voter ID indicate voters each should write their driver’s license or state ID number on the ballot return envelope or enclose a copy of their valid photo ID with their ballot.

Ballots are mailed 20 days prior to the election to all registered voters in the county.