Early voting at a trickle for Cleveland and Helen elections

Five contested seats are on the ballot between Cleveland and Helen municipal elections, but early voting was off to a slow start about a week after it began.

As of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 19, only 79 residents have early voted in the Cleveland election, about 3.4% of the city’s 2,312 registered voters.

Cleveland early voting will be held on weekdays through Friday, Oct. 29, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Cleveland City Hall. Residents who can’t vote during the week can cast their ballots this Saturday, Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at city hall.

There are two seats up for grabs in Cleveland. The Ward 3 race includes incumbent Kevin Stanley and challenger Jeremy McClure, while incumbent Bradley Greene and challenger CJ McDonald are seeking the Ward 4 seat.

Despite each representative having an assigned district, all Cleveland City Council elections are voted on citywide. Election Day voting will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 2, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the fellowship hall of First Baptist Church in Cleveland.

In the Helen election, as of mid-morning Tuesday, 15 out of the nearly 500 registered voters have cast their ballots. Voting will be held on weekdays through Friday, Oct. 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Helen City Hall. There is one more Saturday of early voting on Oct. 23, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Helen has six candidates vying for the three open spots on the city commission. They include incumbents Lee Landress and Steve Fowler, along with Cinnamon Ruston, Linda McAllister, Cliff Hood and Steven Brooks.

All Helen City Commission seats are at-large posts and are voted on citywide. Election Day voting will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 2, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Helen City Hall.