Ten days to cast your vote

McCOOK, Neb. -- The Red Willow County Clerk's Office has received more than 700 ballots, as of Thursday, pertaining to the local-option sales tax special election. Voters have until 5 p.m. on May 12 to return ballots to the clerk's office in the Red Willow County Courthouse.

Secure drop boxes have also been established at six locations throughout the city, including the Heritage Senior Center, First Central Bank, city offices at the Municipal Center, McCook National Bank, the McCook Public Library and Community Hospital. Election officials empty the boxes once daily and will begin counting all ballots at 5 p.m. on May 12.

During the 2007 sales tax special election the city saw a 31.49 percent voter turnout, with 1680 votes cast of 5208 registered voters.

The number of registered voters residing in the City of McCook has decreased by roughly ten percent since the 2007 special election. As of last week the city had 4735 registered voters, putting Thursdays' 700 ballots in the 15 percent voter turnout range with approximately 10 days remaining.

The 2015 special election will need to accept 1491 ballots to reach the 31.49 percent turnout of 2007.

Election officials will begin preparing the ballots for counting on Monday, May 11, and indicated it was a very structured process. According to the Red Willow County Clerk's Office, a Receiving Board comprised of members who sign a voter privacy oath will be tasked with opening the ballot envelopes and getting them ready for counting. One member opens the envelopes while a second removes the ballot, followed by a third person receiving the folded ballot and finally a fourth to receive the empty envelope. The third member subsequently unfolds the ballot in readiness for the counting machine and the fourth also puts the empty envelopes in alpha order, said the clerk's office.