Municipal election postponed to June 16
Brandon voters will go to the polls June 16 to decide the fate of fireworks and Ward 3 voters will elect a ward representative. The candidates are TJ Cameron and Jack Parliament. Jill Meier/BV Journal file photo
Residents in Brandon may be busy at the polls in June.
At Monday’s city council meeting, Brandon’s municipal election was postponed to Tuesday, June 16.
The change of election date was mandated by Governor Kristi Noem last week.
Besides the municipal election, at this time, voters are scheduled to go to the polls for the June 2 primaries and June 16 for the local school board election, if warranted.
City Finance Officer Christina Smith recommended Tuesday, June 16, the same day as the school board election.
“As a council, I would encourage you all to accept and approve Christina’s recommendation,” Mayor Paul Lundberg said. “The June 2 primary, it sounds good to run it with the primary, but it just doesn’t work, folks. I’ve been doing elections for a long time with the Brandon Valley School District, and it doesn’t work. Number 1, they don’t want us in there, it causes them a lot of issues. Number 2, it just doesn’t work. As cumbersome as it sounds to have an election right after that, it’s a better situation. In addition to this, it will fall in line with the school board election, but it’s a way lesser evil than the alternative.”
Smith explained scheduling the municipal election on the same day as the primaries could also cause issues at the polling sites. Smith said both the municipal and primary elections would require two registration books, two poll books and two different ballot boxes.
“If a ballot gets put in the wrong box, it is not counted,” she said. “I would basically be running the municipal side of that, and I think there’s a lot of confusion with that.”
Smith did remind that absentee voting will continue through June 15. Ballots can be cast at City Hall, 304 Main Ave., or requested by mail from City Hall. To request a ballot, call 582-6515. The deadline to register to vote will be at 5 p.m. 15 days prior to the rescheduled election, which at this time is June 1.
