Town election takes shape

The general municipal election for the Town of Ekalaka, slated for November 7th, will be a mail ballot election this year. The Carter County Clerk and Recorder’s Office will mail ballots to all registered active voters who reside within the boundaries of Ekalaka. Active electors will be able to vote in the privacy of their own homes.

A municipal primary election that would have taken place in September was canceled due to a lack of candidates.

Four Town of Ekalaka positions are up for election in 2023.

The positions are an unexpired term for Mayor; two, 2-year council member positions; and one, 4-year council member position.

Current Ekalaka Mayor Buck Kratzer has filed for the unexpired mayoral term.

Current council member Rex McCord has filed for one of the two-year council member positions; Richard Brown filed for the other.

For the four-year term on the council, Ross Phelps will challenge incumbent Andy Wright in November’s election.

Write-ins may still file for any of the open positions in the upcoming municipal election. The deadline for write-ins to file for the municipal general election is September 5th.

If no write-ins file before the deadline, the only item on the ballot will be the four-year term on the council.

Each registered elector in the town will receive an individual ballot packet. Electors will vote their individual ballots, seal them in the secrecy envelope provided in the packet, place the secrecy envelope in the return envelope with the signed affidavit on its back and return that envelope to the clerk’s office at the courthouse.

Voters who reside in the same household must not enclose ballots together in the same secrecy envelope. Ballots must be deposited in individual secrecy envelopes.

For questions regarding the Ekalaka municipal election, contact the Carter County Clerk and Recorder’s Office at 406-775-8749.