Around here, local elections may not come with all the noise of the national stuff, but they sure do matter. Tuesday’s city ballot will help decide who represents neighbors at City Hall and whether Chickasha changes part of its charter dealing with how public work is bid out.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7. Before heading out the door, folks can save themselves a little guesswork by checking their polling place and sample ballot in the OK Voter Portal.

What’s on the Chickasha ballot

In Ward 2, voters will choose between Rockey Cliff Talley and Charlie Burruss. In Ward 4, the race includes Heather Schenk, Kelly Boyd and Sierra Leatherwood. According to the City of Chickasha election notice, council members represent wards, but all registered voters living inside Chickasha city limits can vote for every City Council position on the ballot.

The other city question is a charter amendment proposition. The proposal would update Article 14, Section 3 of the city charter so Chickasha’s rules for competitive bidding on public improvements and maintenance of public property line up with the Oklahoma Competitive Bidding Act.

Why the charter question matters

Plain and simple, the proposed amendment would move the city’s bidding threshold from $3,500 to the current state-law threshold of $100,000. It would also tie Chickasha’s threshold to state law going forward, so if Oklahoma changes that number later on, the city’s threshold would change with it instead of staying fixed in the charter.

It may sound like one of those nuts-and-bolts government questions at first glance, but it has a real effect on how City Hall handles contracts, maintenance work and public improvement projects. For a lot of folks around town, that’s the kind of thing worth understanding before stepping into the voting booth.

What to know before you go

Early voting was held Thursday and Friday at the Grady County Election Board, 315 W. Pennsylvania Ave., so Tuesday will be the main in-person voting day for many Chickasha residents. The state election board says polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the quickest way to double-check where you vote is still the OK Voter Portal.

Once the ballots are cast, life in Chickasha keeps right on rolling. You can browse our Event Calendar to see what’s coming up next around town, and if you’re planning to shop local, grab a bite or support a hometown service after voting, our Business Listings are a handy place to start.