Election Day is only five weeks away and that means the deadline to register to vote is coming up.

The final day eligible voters can register to vote is next Tuesday, Oct. 9, and Logan County clerk Scottie Harper wants to see everyone come down to his office and do so.

“I would encourage everyone that isn’t already registered to come and register before the deadline,” Harper said.

The deadline is the same for people who have never registered to vote, or are currently registered and have had a change of address and would like to vote in their new precinct.

Harper also wants voters to know that his office will have an absentee voting machine set up beginning tomorrow, Oct. 3, for anyone to use who will not be in town to vote on Nov. 6.

“We’re doing this for anyone that won’t be around to vote on Nov. 6 - especially for college kids that are living away from home,” Harper said. “They will be able to vote when they come home on their break.”

One other election deadline this month is Oct. 26 - the last day for people to file to run as a write-in candidate.

That is especially important for the upcoming Lewisburg city council election. There are six spots on that council, but only three people - Shirley S. Woodward, Jeff Laster and Melanie Palmgren - registered to be on the ballot.

That means if three or less people file to run as a write-in, they are pretty much guaranteed a spot on the council.

“Anyone that registers as a write-in for that election would need just one vote and they would be on the council,” Harper said.

Candidates can file to run as write-ins in any of the other local elections though.

On the Russellville city council ballot will be the six current members of the council – Bill Decker, Jimmy Davenport, Darlene Gooch, Pat Bell, Sandra Kinser and Jack Whipple and they will be challenged by Marvinia Neblett, Archie Beck, Lora Murphy and Doug Nash.

In Adairville, the two running for mayor are current mayor Jim Wilkerson and sitting council member Donna Blake. The two also ran head-to-head for the office four years ago with Wilkerson winning by an extremely thing 9-vote margin. Wilkerson is seeking his third term as Adairville mayor.

In Auburn, current mayor Dewey Roche is not seeking re-election, but three others will be vying to take his place. They are sitting council member Mike Hughes, Wayne Thomas, who currently serves as utilities director for the city of Russellville, and Maxie Rittenberry, who ran for mayor four years ago and lost to Roche.

Both those cities will be electing city councils as well.

Nine people filed to run for the Adairville city council - Becky Tinch, Patty Costello, Danny Finch, Art Violette, Dick Dickerson, Patricia Arnold Mayes, Bill Steen, Michelle Trimble and Brent Johnson. The top six votegetters will be elected to the council.

In Auburn, there will be also be nine names on the ballot for city council. They are Steve Montgomery, Bobby Price, Rex Evans, Thelma Cottrell, Shane Johnson, Gayle Gregory, James Wayne Gregory, Jessie Duer and Norma Kutzman.

Those who will be on the ballot for the North Logan Soil Conservation board include R.W. Bobby Brown, Ernest B. “Ernie” Ezell, Dewayne Sharp, Warren Stuart and Anthony Woodall. The top four votegetters will make up the board. Only four signed up for the South Logan Soil Conservation board. They are Thomas B. Brown, Jr., Eddy Russell, Bob E. Allen and Jeff Campbell.

There will also be some school board positions on the ballot, but no contested races. Three spots will be filled for the Logan County School Board - Phillip Baker (Chandlers), Ralph Cropper (Lewisburg) and Johnny Dawson (Olmstead.) Davonna Page and Phillip West are the only two people to register for the two open seats on the Russellville Independent School Board.

The remainder of the term for deceased third district magistrate Curtis Watkins will also be on the ballot. Barry Joe Wright was appointed to that position back in the spring. He had to file to run in the November election for the final two years of the term, but he will be unopposed on the ballot as no one else registered for the position.

Other races that will be on the ballot in November include state senator, state representative and circuit court clerk.

For state senator, incumbent Democrat Joey Pendleton will be challenged by Republican Whitney Westerfield. Incumbent Democrat Martha Jane King is running for state representative against Republican challenger Chris Hightower. Sherry Wilkins is running unopposed for circuit court clerk.