Early voting for the Smithville Municipal Election began on June 1 and will continue through June 16.
Citizens of the city may vote early in the basement courtroom of the courthouse from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Thursday, and from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday.
Seven people cast ballots on the first day of early voting last Wednesday, 32 people balloted onThursday, 15 on Friday, and Saturday, 20 people voting in person with two absentee ballots cast.
The city election is scheduled for Tuesday, June 21.
Three aldermen seats are up for grabs, and six candidates have applied to fill them.
City aldermen serve a two year term. Aldermen chosen in this election will begin their term on July 1.
Candidates for the positions are Shawn Jacobs, Aaron Meeks, and W.J. (Dub) White, all incumbents in the race, along with challengers Gayla Hendrix, Cordell Walker, and Danny Washer.
Voters may also apply for absentee ballots for the Smithville Municipal election through June 14.
According to Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley, the requirements for absentee voting are;

Absentee Voting by Mail

To vote by mail, a registered voter must fall under one of the following categories:
1.The voter will be outside the county of registration during the early voting period and all day on election day;
2.The voter or the voter's spouse is enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited college or university outside the county of registration;
3.The voter's licensed physician has filed a statement with the county election commission stating that, in the physician's judgment, the voter is medically unable to vote in person. The statement must be filed not less than five (5) days before the election and signed under the penalty
of perjury. The statement must be notarized;
4.The voter resides in a licensed facility providing relatively permanent domiciliary care, other than a penal institution, outside the voter's county of residence;
5.The voter will be unable to vote in person due to service as a juror for a federal or state court;
6.The voter is sixty-five (65) years of age or older;
7.The voter has a physical disability and an inaccessible polling place;
8.The voter is hospitalized, ill, or physically disabled and because of such condition, cannot vote in person;
9.The voter is a caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled;
10.The voter is a candidate for office in the election;
11.The voter serves as an election day official or as a member or employee of the election commission;
12.The voter's observance of a religious holiday prevents him or her from voting in person during the early voting period and on election day;
13.The voter possesses a valid commercial driver license and certifies that he or she will be working outside the state or county of registration during the early voting period and all day on election day. The request should contain the CDL number;
14.The voter is a member of the military or is an overseas citizen.

Requesting a Ballot

A registered voter may request a by-mail ballot by sending a written request to the DeKalb County Election Commission.
The request must have the voter's signature.
The request may be mailed or faxed to the county election commission office.
Upon receipt of the request, the local election commission will mail an application for ballot to the voter.
The application must be mailed back to the election commission and a ballot will be mailed to the voter.
If the voter wants to expedite the application process, the voter may place the following information in the request for ballot:
1.The name of the registered voter;
2.The address of the voter's residence;
3.The voter's social security number;
4.The address to mail the ballot outside the county (this applies only when the reason for voting by mail involves that the voter will be outside of the county during early voting and on election day);
5.The election the voter wishes to participate in. If the election involves a primary, the political party in which the voter wishes to participate;
6.The reason the voter wishes to vote absentee; and
7.The voter's signature. (If the voter is unable to sign his/her name, contact the Election Commission office for details.)
A request that contains this information will be treated and processed as an application for ballot, and a ballot will be mailed to the voter.
A registered voter may request an application for by-mail ballot no earlier than ninety (90) days before the election and no later than seven (7) days before the election. In order to be counted the ballot must be received by election day.
The ballot must be returned by mail and not hand delivered.