CONFUSION SURROUNDS VOTE DATE; SCOTT CITY PRIMARY TO BE ON MARCH 3

SCOTT CITY -- The date of an upcoming primary election for a seat on the Scott City Council seemed to be anybody's guess.

"It hasn't been discussed at all around City Hall, so I guess we're not really sure when it is," said City Clerk Nona Walls.

City officials months ago set the election date as Tuesday, after they looked up a city ordinance that states primaries for the April election should be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in February.

But Bob Kielhofner, Scott County clerk, set the date of the primary as March 3. The result was confusion for city officials and candidates alike.

The election will be held March 3.

"The county sets the date of the election," Kielhofner said Sunday, defending the March 3 date. He said he is aware there has been confusion about the date of the election, but that the county always dictates election days to the city. He said he had never verified a Feb. 4 date with the city.

One of the candidates in the election, George Moit, was so sure the primary would be held on Tuesday that he bought campaign advertisements asking voters to support him on Tuesday.

"I got a call the next day from the county clerk telling me the election wouldn't be held until March," Moit said, adding he plans to re-run the ad closer to March 3.

But, when questioned by a reporter, Moit admitted he still isn't sure of the date of the election. "If you find out it's not in March, could you let me know?" he asked.

The primary will narrow the list of candidates for a two-year term in Ward 2 from three candidates to two.

Running are incumbent John Rogers, Moit, and Terry Gettings. Only voters in Ward 2 will cast ballots, and the polling place will be at the United Methodist Church, 1400 Broadway.

Primaries are only necessary when more than two candidates file for a seat on the council. A total of five council members will be elected in April, but only in Ward 2 were there more than two candidates for the two-year term. A one-year term in that ward will also be filled in April.

Walls said she plans to recheck the city ordinance for primary elections today. But she added she and other city officials are aware that the county has the final say on election dates.

"Bob Kielhofner handles all the elections," she said. "He tells us when to have them and we set everything up (at the polling places.) We follow what he says."

Mayor Shirley Young agreed that all election dates are set by the county clerk. But she added, "I know we've held primaries in February before."