Gainesville school levy is only locally contested contest on Nov. 6 general election ballot

Ozark Countians – and residents throughout the United States – head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 6, to cast votes in the 2018 general election. No contested Ozark County positions will appear on the ballot here; Republican candidates who won in the Aug. 7 primary election had no Democratic Party challenges, so they run unopposed on next week’s ballot. 

However, voters in the Gainesville R-V School District will vote on Proposition Gainesville Schools, a proposed levy increase. A similar issue failed by 14 votes in the Aug. 7 primary election. All Ozark County precincts except Thornfield, Richland (Dora) and Bayou (Bakersfield) vote on the Gainesville school district issue.

Voters here will also help determine whether 8th Congressional District Rep. Jason Smith returns to Washington. He is opposed on the ballot by Democratic candidate Kathy Ellis and Libertarian candidate Jonathan L. Shell.

Statewide, voters will decide whether to reelect U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat, or replace her with Republican challenger Josh Hawley or the Libertarian, Green or Constitution candidate also running.

The Missouri state auditor will be decided Tuesday; in addition, voters will decide whether to retain two Missouri Supreme Court judges and a Missouri Court of Appeals judge. Four proposed amendments to the state constitution also appear on the ballot along with two statewide propositions.

See the sample ballot on page A14, which also lists the county’s 10 precincts and their poling places. (Absentee votes also count as a precinct.) The full language of the proposed amendments and statewide propositions begins on page B2. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Absentee voting

Registered voters who wish to vote absentee should contact the Ozark County Clerk’s Office (417-679-3516) for an absentee ballot. The clerk’s office in the courthouse will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Friday, Nov. 2, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5. It will also be open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 3, to accommodate absentee voters. Absentee ballots may be returned by mail, but they must be received by the clerk’s office by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6. 

Watch ozarkcountytimes.com and the Ozark County Times Facebook page

The Ozark County Times staff will post results of the Gainesville R-V School District election Tuesday evening when results are available from the Ozark County Clerk’s Office. Watch ozarkcountytimes.com and the Ozark County Times Facebook page for Tuesday evening updates. 

Due to mid-day Tuesday press deadlines, the Nov. 7 edition of the Times will not carry election results, but Ozark County precinct totals will be posted online Wednesday morning – or when official results are available – and will be published in the Nov. 14 edition.