Barton County Election Officer Donna Zimmerman says a typical mail-in ballot in Barton County has an 80-percent voter turnout. Barton County mailed out ballots August 20 for the Great Bend school district’s $44.87 million bond issue, and are awaiting the September 5 deadline. As of last Thursday, Aug. 29, Zimmerman noted there was a 51.9 percent turnout from nearly 10,500 ballots sent out to registered voters within the district.
The Barton County Clerk’s Office has received phone calls with voters concerned that the ballot does not fit into the return envelope. Zimmerman says it is fine to fold the ballot.
“There’s verbiage that has to be on every hand-counted paper ballot that say do not tear or deface,” said Zimmerman. “Folding it is not tearing or defacing it. I apologize if that caused any issues with the voters, that was never our intent.”
(Read more: Great Bend Post)