Although seven additional candidates filed for races in the upcoming November general election over a one-week period, the overall number of candidates, with just two days prior to the filing deadline, were still low.

There are five total non-partisan races, and through last Friday, May 29, only 10 people had filed for the various seats–including no candidates at that time in one of three school board races and only four people had filed for seats on the Albany City Council, which is made up of six members.

Seven of the 10 candidates who had filed through the end of last week were seated incumbents.

Those candidates who filed last week include Third District School Board incumbent member and board chairperson Leslie Stockon. The district is comprised of the Highway, Speck and Illwill precincts. She was the only candidate in that race through last week.

In District Four on the Board of Education, which is comprised of the North, East and West Albany precincts, a seat currently held by Gary Norris, no candidate had filed through last Friday.

The District Two Board of Education race has two candidates, incumbent Sue Irwin and newcomer Ronald Albertson. That precinct is comprised of the Seventy-Six and Neathery-Cave Springs precincts.

In the race for Albany City Council seats, only four people had filed through the end of last week, including newcomers Joe Stockton and Scott York, and two of six incumbents, Reed Sloan and Tonya Thrasher.

Three of four incumbents that comprise the Clinton County Soil Conservation District filed last week, including Kathy Conner, Roger Beard and Greg Abston.

The Soil Conservation District includes four Board of Director positions and if only four people file, that race would not appear on the November ballot.

Meanwhile, people can now apply for and begin sending in absentee ballots by mail. Requests for a paper ballot may be made through the County Clerk’s Office via fax, email or phone by calling (606) 387-5943.

A final list of non-partisan candidates, as well as other election deadlines and information, will be published in next week’s Clinton County News.