Proposed changes to the city charter that would allow the Smithville Municipal Election to be moved from June to August so it could be held in conjunction with the County General Election will have to be put on hold for now.
Smithville Mayor Taft Hendrixson first brought the issue up at the Dec. 19 city council meeting as a way to save the city money and possibly bring more voters to the polls.
The change in the city charter required to move the election date not only demands approval by the aldermen, but by  the state legislature as well.
Hendrixson told the board of aldermen at Thursday night's special council meeting that he has learned the deadline for filing proposed state legislation was Jan. 26.
"I talked to State Representative Weaver last Friday,” the mayor said. “She said it was going to be impossible to get it through. We can go ahead and do change the charter, but it won't apply to this year. We cannot get it through. So as of tomorrow I plan to write the election commission a letter and call for a June election. It’s about the only thing I can do," Hendrixson concluded.
The mayor’s seat, as well as the positions on the council held by Cecil Burger and Steve White will be up for grabs in the city race, to be held June 19.
The mayor and aldermen serve two-year terms.
The qualifying deadline is March 15, and qualifying petitions may be picked up at the election commission offices in the basement of the courthouse.
The last day to register to vote in that election is May 21.
Meanwhile, Dowelltown and Liberty will both hold elections Aug. 2.
A mayor and two aldermen will be elected in Dowelltown.
The mayor’s seat in Dowelltown is currently held by Gerald Bailiff, and Joe Bogle and Elizabeth Redmon will be up for re-election as aldermen.
The qualifying deadline for the Dowelltown election is noon April 5, and the last day to register to vote is July 3.
Three aldermen will be elected in Liberty.
The seats are now held by Todd Dodd, Dwight Mathis and Paul M. Neal.
The qualifying deadline is noon April 5 and the last day to register to vote in that election is July 3.
According to Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley, there are two important messages voters should remember before going to the polls on Election Day or for early voting.
“If your address has changed since the last time you voted, you should contact the local election office to begin the process of updating your records,” Stanley said. “If you show up at the polls with a voter’s card that has an address different than where you currently live, you will have to fill out a ‘Fail-Safe’ form and you may even be sent to another location to vote.
“Also, voters are reminded that with all elections in 2012, voters will have to have a valid federal or state government-issued photo ID to vote on the machines,” he added.
Acceptable forms of photo identification, even if expired, are any of the following: a Tennessee Driver License with your photo; a United States Passport; Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security photo ID; a Photo ID issued by the federal or state government, such as an employee ID from the U.S. Department of Energy with your photo; United States Military photo ID, including a Veteran Identification Card; and a state-issued handgun carry permit card with your photo.
“If you do not bring a photo ID to the polls, you will vote a Provisional Ballot  you will have two business days after Election Day to return to the election commission office to show a valid photo ID If not, the ballot will not be counted,” Stanley said.