City council elections for 3, 4, 7 and 8 are today. If you want the renaissance to continue in Oklahoma City, then these elections should be extremely important to you.

If you're not sure what ward you live in, check out a ward map:

http://www.okc.gov/council/WardMap/wardmap.pdf

If you need information on whose running today, check out this link: http://www.okctalk.com/t2054-city-council-candidates.html

No race in ward 6... :(

Here's more information if you're still trying to make a decision.

"Voters set to hit polls in metro


By Bryan Dean
The Oklahoman

Area voters will go to the polls today to elect council members and to decide various other issues.

In Oklahoma City, 14 candidates will square off in Wards 3, 4, 7 and 8.

Doug Sanderson, Oklahoma County Election Board secretary, said about 90 people had cast in-person absentee ballots for those races as of 2 p.m. Monday.

"It's pretty much consistent with this sort of election," Sanderson said. "I've not seen anything yet that would indicate it is going to be a large turnout."

Sanderson said turnout for city council races is typically between 8 percent and 15 percent.

Candidates in Ward 3 are incumbent Councilman Larry McAtee and David Puente, a retired U.S. Justice Department employee. In Ward 4, retirees Louise Elkins-Alexander and Carl Sullivan face attorney Pete White.

The biggest field is in Ward 7, where incumbent Willa Johnson faces five opponents: home and environmental inspector Will Bandele, loan officer Christine Harris Byrd, Barry Gardner, pastor Reginald Mitchell and mortgage broker Lenardo Smith. All of the challengers are hoping to unseat Johnson, who is seeking her fourth term.

Ward 8 candidates include education consultant Lou Barlow, retiree Patrick Ryan and developer Eric Roberts.

A runoff election for the three races is scheduled April 5, if needed.

In Moore, residents will vote on a three-part, $47.4 million school bond issue.

The bond amounts are $37.35 million for a new high school, new elementary classrooms, roofing, parking and rest room renovations; $8.25 million for new computers and software, and new cafeteria equipment at all school sites; and $1.8 million for new buses and maintenance trucks.

Midwest City-Del City School District voters will consider a two-part bond issue totaling $8,765,000. The amounts are $8,405,000, for districtwide capital improvements, including new heaters, roofs, doors and painting; and $360,000, for three new school buses.

Voters in Nichols Hills will consider a five-part bond proposal totaling $12.5 million.

The bond amounts are $4.88 million for street repairs and improvements; $4.5 million for water system improvements; $1.6 million for rehabilitation of the sanitary sewer system; $1.37 million for drainage improvements; and $150,000 for communications systems for city departments.

And Logan County voters will consider a three-quarter cent, 10-year sales tax to pay for construction, maintenance and operation of a $7.1 million jail to replace one almost 100 years old that is threatened with closure.

The tax is expected to bring in $1.57 million annually, proponents said. "

Not sure where your polling place is?

http://www.newsok.com/article/1433137/?template=news/main

I got to blow this one off, since I live in Ward 2.

The Moore and Mid-Del school systems had bond issues on the ballot, which could make things interesting.

I voted today for Carl Sullivan. I didn't see any yard signs for Carl, but I sure saw alot for Pete White. I think Pete will probably win, we'll see.

You know what's really sad? Not one in five hundred people in Oklahoma City even knew there was an election. Okay, just a wild-eyed guess, but I don't think I'm very far off.

I voted today around 2:30 I was number 65 at my polling place. I think its strange that so many people skip local elections and then complain about the city government or the school districts.

"I think its strange that so many people skip local elections and then complain about the city government or the school districts."

You are so right. Local elections are where people truly CAN be heard and the vast majority wouldn't even know what to say when asked. So much for being heard. Only 65 people at 2:30? That's worse than I thought.

Willa Johnson won! Nothing unexpected there. So did Larry McAtee. Carl almost won outright, but will have to run again in a runoff. A runoff will also occur in Ward 8.

Well, here are the results:

"Local voters go to polls




Logan County voters reversed course Tuesday, approving a sales tax similar to one they had turned away less than a year ago to pay for the construction and operation of a new county jail.
Election results

Other metro area voters approved various school and municipal bond issues and settled races for two of four Oklahoma City Council seats up for grabs.

But of all the tax increases before voters, the proposed 10-year, ¾-cent sales tax to fund a new Logan County jail attracted the most attention.

In August, Logan County voters had rejected a proposition that sought a half-cent county sales tax to pay for a new jail.

This latest proposal was opposed by an organized citizens' group, and the Guthrie City Council had approved a resolution condemning the measure, too.

Tax supporters turned out in large enough numbers this time, with 3,131 votes, or 59.5 percent of those cast, while 2,134 people voted against it.

Logan County Sheriff Randy Richardson said he's excited to see what happens next and plans meetings with financial advisors.

"The difference was getting it out there before the people," he said. "This time, everybody was aware of what was going on and the need."

The county jail is nearly a century old and under a closure threat from state officials.

In Oklahoma City, veteran Councilwoman Willa Johnson escaped a run-off Tuesday, despite facing one of her toughest slate of challengers in 12 years of representing Ward 7.

"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness," Johnson exclaimed, as final results showed her leading with almost 52 percent of the vote. "That's good news, that's good news."

Johnson, 66, was first elected in 1993. On Tuesday, she won with 1,678 votes, beating her closest challenger Lenardo Smith, 49, who won 917 votes out of the total of 3,237 cast. Other election candidates, Christine Harris Byrd, 50, Barry Gardner, 55, Reginald Mitchell, 54, and Will Bandele, 60, split the remaining votes.

Johnson, who celebrated her win with more than three dozen supporters, admitted this year's race was the toughest in her career.

"I expected competition," Johnson said, teary-eyed as she spoke to her supporters. "But I never dreamed I'd have five opponents. I was nervous about it."

Run-off elections are needed on April 5 to settle races for the city's Ward 4 and Ward 8 council seats.

Both seats were vacated after Brent Rinehart and Guy Liebmann were elected to the Oklahoma County Commission and Oklahoma State House of Representatives, respectively.

In Ward 4, retiree Carl Sullivan, 68, barely missed winning his race outright, getting 1,010 votes against the 878 received by Pete White, 66, the serving councilman who was appointed to the seat after Rinehart's departure. Retiree Louise Elkins-Alexander, 56, only received 160 votes in the race.

Sullivan credited the turnout in his home precinct, which accounted for nearly 15 percent of the total vote, for putting him ahead. Sullivan said he won his home precinct by a margin of about eight to one over White.

"There are about six pages of voters that I got on the phone with today and reminded them that it was the day to go vote," Sullivan said. "I'm pretty active in my neighborhood. A lot of people know who I am."

White said it was "a major accomplishment" for Sullivan to generate that kind of response in one precinct out of 44.

"The real story of the night is what he was able to accomplish in his own precinct," White said. "He did a great job turning out his vote."

Both candidates said they are confident they can win a runoff, but White acknowledged he will have to come up with a new approach to close the gap.

In Ward 8, retiree Patrick Ryan, 66, received 1,140 votes, not enough to keep out of a run-off against developer Eric Roberts, 42, who won 798 votes. Education consultant Lou Barlow, 39, a former Congressional candidate, came in third with 723 votes.

The crowd at Ryan's watch party remained confident throughout the night he would win the most votes, but was disappointed when the final tally showed he would face Roberts in a run-off.

"I'm really pleased to have come out as well as we did," Ryan said. "I would have wished to have 50 percent and not have a run-off, but since we in one, we'll gear up and do the best we can."

Roberts, who like Ryan is a first time council candidate, said he struggled with name recognition.

"Most people didn't know who I am," Roberts said. "We'll be starting at 8 a.m. - we'll be starting fast and furious."

Incumbent Ward 3 Councilman Larry McAtee, 67, easily won re-election to a second term, getting 1,214 votes to 210 votes for challenger David Puente, 52. "

The results can also be found here: http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?p=14498#post14498