Following about a full month of no additional persons filing for one of several non-partisan races that will be on the general election ballot, this past week one person added their name to the still short list.

Samuel Rains has entered the race for Albany City Council member to fill one of the six seats that make up the city’s governing body.

Rains, a newcomer to the political arena, became the fourth person to file for a council seat. Of the four that had filed through Monday of this week, March 28, only one was an incumbent member.

There are now a total of seven candidates in the race for five different non-partisan offices this fall. Six of the seven non-partisan candidates are seeking city wide races–either Mayor of Albany or Albany City Council.

Still only one person has filed for one of two school board seats that are up this year and no candidate has filed for one of three positions on the Soil Conservation District Board.

Filing for non-partisan candidates will continue through the first week of June.

Also pertaining to the upcoming May primary election, Clinton County Clerk Nathan Collins has given voters a couple of reminders of dates to be aware of as election day quickly approaches.

Registered voters can begin applying for mail-in absentee ballots in the county clerk’s office next Monday, April 4.

In the previous Presidential (federal) election in 2020, criteria for absentee balloting was altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, this year, while in something of a “post-pandemic” election year, Collins noted that the criteria and guidelines for absentee voting would return to normal.

Persons eligible to vote by paper absentee ballot include, but are not specifically limited to, those individuals with disabilities, medical related excuses, persons who will be out of their county of residence on election day and persons in military service who are deployed in other locations.

The county clerk also noted the state now has an election website with a portal that voters can access to obtain an absentee ballot.

Collins said that website address would be published next week.

Perhaps most important to non-registered voters is the date of Monday, April 18, at 4 p.m. local time.

Persons not registered to vote in the upcoming May election have until the above date to register in time to vote in the primary.

Also, anyone who has moved and has a new address should report the change by that date in order to vote in their new precinct, if different from the precinct they are now residing in.

For more information about the upcoming election, including such things as voting locations, whether you are registered, or what precinct you can vote in, please call the Clinton County Clerk’s Office at 606-387-5943.