Published: November 03, 2008 10:06 am      

Hot races lead to long lines at polls already

Hotly-contested races are leading to lines for those wanting to cast early in-person absentee ballots in Pittsburg County.

Voters have continued to pour in for early voting at the Pittsburg County Election Board office, indicating widespread interest in the election.

Some 677 voters had cast ballots by 6 p.m. on Friday and another 205 had voted between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday.

The early voting is set to continue today until 6 p.m. in the election board offices at 10 E. Washington Ave., which is adjacent to the west side of McAlester City Hall.

“We have a line,” County Election Board Secretary Cathy Thornton said this morning.

“It has been busy. We’re getting to see a lot of voters; our phones are ringing.

“There appears to be a lot of interest in election day.”

All regular polling places will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday for the General Election.

The race which seems to be drawing much of the interest among early voters is the Presidential race between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama.

During the early voting on Friday, a car belonging to one Obama supporter was vandalized while parked in the Professional Building’s parking lot adjacent to City Hall, said the car’s owner, McAlester attorney Michael Parks.

Parks said he is convinced that his car had been vandalized because it had Barack Obama stickers on it. The front windshield had been bashed three times and the car had been “keyed,” ruining the paint job.

“As far as I’m concerned, I’m the victim of a hate crime,” Parks said.

Another race with a lot of interest is the bitterly-contested race for the District 7 state Senate seat between the incumbent, District 7 state Sen. Richard Lerblance, D-Hartshorne, and Republican challenger Kenny Sherrill, of McAlester.

Also on the ballot, the race for the U.S. Senate between the incumbent, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, D- Tulsa, and Democratic state Sen. Andrew Rice, of Oklahoma City. A Republican candidate, Stephen Wallace, is also on the ballot.

Also on the ballot is a race for the District 2 U.S. House set, with U.S. District 2 Rep. Dan Boren, D-Muskogee, facing a challenge from Republican Raymond Wickson.

Two races for the state Corporation Commission and retention ballots for justices on the state Supreme Court, the state Court of Criminal Appeals and the state Court of Civil appeals are also on the ballot.

Another item on the ballot for voters in Kiowa is a measure which would allow the offices of Kiowa city clerk and Kiowa city treasurer to be appointed by the mayor, with approval of the town board of trustees.

Another measure on the ballot calls for a 5 percent hotel tax.

The money would be split for maintenance, care and improvement of the Kiowa Community Building, for the care and improvement of the Kiowa Cemetery Care Fund, for maintenance care and improvement of the Kiowa Water Treatment Plant and to benefit the city of Kiowa.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.