Voters in Clinton County who plan to cast their ballots by mail can now request a ballot from the Clinton County Clerk’s Office, according to county clerk officials.

Although the actual ballots will not be ready to be mailed out until late this week, persons who wish to request a paper ballot can do so now by either calling the county clerk’s office or going by the clerk’s window to request one be mailed.

According to clerk’s office staff, there will also be a provision where persons can vote one person at a time in the machine set up in the clerk’s office. To cast a vote in that fashion, a registered voter will have to set up an appointment with a time given to appear at the office to vote in person.

More information on when the walk-in voting by appointment will begin will be announced in the coming weeks.

The only location on election day, June 23, to cast a vote in person locally, will be at the courthouse, thus election officials, to avoid long lines and help secure safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, are urging mail-in voting or walk-in by appointment balloting.

Also, persons who are not registered to vote, but would like to participate in this year’s primary election, have until 4 p.m. next Tuesday to register in order to be able to cast a ballot in the June election.

Locally, prospective candidates who may want to seek a handful of offices that will be on the non-partisan November ballot remains extremely low.

Through last Friday, May 15–just two and-a-half weeks prior to the deadline to file as a non-partisan candidate–still only one person had filed for a seat, that being one incumbent member of the Clinton County Board of Education, that being in the second school district.

There are also school board races in districts three and four, all six Albany City Council positions and three Soil Conservation District Board of Director seats to be filled in the general election this fall.

For more information or questions about the upcoming election, call the Clinton County Clerk’s Office at 387-5943.

The NEWS will continue weekly updates on the primary election.