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RandySF's JournalSurry Elementary facilities upgrades may force special election
SURRY—At the March 17 meeting of the Surry School Board, Union 93 Superintendent Derek Perkins outlined the scope, and urgency, of facilities needs at Surry Elementary School. Perkins noted that rising costs would require voter approvals, but action was on a short timeline.
According to Perkins, current-year budgeted costs for facilities and maintenance at SES have been over-extended by $41,000. The costs have been driven largely by engineering and design work required to prepare a long-anticipated HVAC project for bid. Perkins said those costs are necessary to move the project forward, but cannot yet be offset by outside funding.
“At this point,” Perkins said, “the town hasn’t voted to accept the Revolving Renovations funds, so we can’t use those funds until that happens.”
Maine’s Revolving Renovation program is a loan-and-grant partnership administered through the Maine Municipal Bond Bank. Even though the funding comes from the state, towns must vote to accept it before any money can be used.
https://penobscotbaypress.com/articles/latestnews-theweeklypacket/surry-elementary-facilities-upgrades-may-force-special-election/
Merkley introduces bill banning sports, election gambling. Here's why
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced a bill on Thursday aiming to crack down on prediction markets amid concerns that gambling on sports, elections and government activities invite corruption.
Sen. Merkley introduced the STOP Corrupt Bets Act alongside Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD).
The bill would ban prediction market betting on elections, government actions, sports and military actions, which the lawmakers note, are not commodities and have “little-to-no value in helping business investments.”
“When anyone can use prediction markets to make a well-timed bet on Congress passing a bill, government decisions, or a military strike, it’s ripe for corruption and erodes public trust,” Sen. Merkley said.
https://www.koin.com/news/politics/merkley-introduces-bill-banning-sports-election-gambling-heres-why/
Early Ontario special election results still hold with 'no' votes in the majority
Ontario’s special election results for two hospitality measures, V and W, on Thursday afternoon were still showing a majority “no” vote for both.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, March 26, results on the registrar’s page showed 59.59% or 7,691 votes for no on Measure V and 53.02% or 6,802 votes for no on Measure W.
According to voting data from the registrar, only 9,618 of the city’s 98,239 registered voters participated in the special election, with the majority of ballots coming from mail-in.
Both measures need a 50% +1 majority vote to pass.
https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2026/03/26/early-ontario-special-election-results-still-hold-with-no-votes-in-the-majority/
Golden (R) announces re-election bid for Montgomery County Mayor
Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden announced his candidacy for re-election in the August 6 General Election, reflecting on the priorities he set during his first campaign and the progress made over the past three and a half years.
Since taking office, Montgomery County has secured major private investment, including two new hospitals and additional healthcare expansion that will bring hundreds of high-paying jobs to our community. As our population increases, expanding access to quality healthcare close to home is critical for local families. This level of investment strengthens our local economy and ensures residents have the services they need right here in Montgomery County.
Public safety has remained a top priority. During his first term, Golden led the creation of the Montgomery County Fire Department, strengthening daytime coverage to support the volunteer system and building long-term capacity to protect the community. The county also increased School Resource Officers across its schools, added an additional ambulance and staffing in North Clarksville, and launched a county-run medic program that is now fully staffed to serve residents.
Education continues to be central to the county’s long-term planning. To keep pace with enrollment and ensure students have the space and resources they need, Montgomery County will open its third new school in three years.
https://mainstreetmediatn.com/articles/uncategorized/golden-announces-re-election-bid-for-montgomery-county-mayor/?pubid=chronicleofmtjuliet
All five Rapid City Council wards to have contested races in June election
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - All five Rapid City Council wards will have contested races in the June 2 municipal election.
The Rapid City Finance Office validated petitions for 11 candidates seeking three-year seats. All candidates will appear on the ballot.
It is the first time since 2002 that every ward has a contested race in the same cycle, and only the third time since 1995.
Ward Four has three candidates running. A runoff, if needed, will be held on June 23.
https://www.kotatv.com/2026/03/26/all-five-rapid-city-council-wards-have-contested-races-june-election/
Lee Democrats approve local slate of election candidates
Lee — With local government offices on the line, Lee Democratic Committee members endorsed three candidates on March 24 for the upcoming annual town election to be held on May 18: moderator (one-year term), Matt Carlino (incumbent); Housing Authority (five-year term), Thomas Unsworth (incumbent); and Planning Board (five-year term), Tim Susse. One write-in candidate for the three-year Select Board position, incumbent Sean Regnier, was noted but could not gain the endorsement since he is not a party member.
Incumbents Aaron Aubin, Heidi Cooper, and Nicole Kosiorek are also running for the Lee School Committee’s three open three-year seats. Ashley Salvini is the sole candidate looking to gain the committee’s two-year position after assuming the group’s vacant spot in September.
March 30 is the last day to file nomination papers with the town clerk, with April 15 being the last day to object or withdraw nomination papers or caucus certifications.
https://theberkshireedge.com/lee-democrats-approve-local-slate-of-election-candidates/
PA-HD196: Ron Ruman secures Democratic nomination for 196th District special election
Ron Ruman has been announced as the official Democratic nominee for the special election to replace outgoing York County State Rep. Seth Grove in the 196th District, which includes 10 municipalities such as Spring Grove and West Manchester Townships.
Ruman, who served as press secretary to four Pennsylvania gubernatorial administrations, announced Thursday morning that he has secured the Democratic nomination and will run against Republican George Margetas.
The special election for the 196th District is set for May 1.
The district was held by Grove, a Republican, for 17 years.
https://www.wgal.com/article/ron-ruman-secures-democratic-nomination-196th-district-special-election/70858903
Judge allows Shasta County election reform measure on ballot
Shasta County voters will weigh a proposal to overhaul the county’s election system on the June primary ballot after a judge declined to block the measure.
Local resident Jennifer Katske filed a lawsuit seeking to keep the measure off the ballot, arguing several provisions would violate state and federal laws.
The proposed charter amendment would make sweeping changes to how elections are conducted, including requiring voter identification at polling places, mandating hand counts of ballots and banning universal vote-by-mail.
Following a hearing Wednesday, Shasta County Superior Court Judge Benjamin Hanna ruled that Katske’s petition was invalid because it could not point to a specific law that requires a county clerk to pull a ballot measure based on its substance.
https://www.ijpr.org/politics-government/2026-03-26/shasta-county-election-measure-june-ballot-ruling
McCann (?) won't seek new term on select board, planning board member to resign after election
After initially taking out nomination papers to run for a second term, select board member Jason McCann said this week he has changed his mind and will retire from the board when his term expires this spring.
Planning board member Cindy Borges, elected to a five-year term in 2024, also announced her intention to step down after the May 18 election.
With McCann’s departure from the race, there are five people considering running for the two available three-year terms on the select board, as Town Clerk Lori West reported that Michael A. Sampson requested nomination papers last Thursday.
Incumbent Jerry Taverna could be challenged by Sampson, Susan Short Green, Patricia Lynn Cormier, and Christopher Niland.
https://www.hulltimes.com/ht-online/2026/3/26/mccann-wont-seek-new-term-on-select-board-planning-board-member-to-resign-after-election
Company apologizes for El Paso election glitches
Facing questions from El Paso County commissioners, executives with the technology company KNOWiNK apologized for the widespread failure of its electronic poll books, which disrupted primary election voting at more than half of the county’s precincts.
“Our system fell short during the primary election,” said Steele Shippy, chief strategy officer for the company, in his comments to El Paso County Commissioners Court on Monday, March 23. “El Paso County voters and this court deserve a direct explanation on what happened, what we’ve done to address it and what we are doing to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
About 80 of El Paso’s 124 polling sites experienced technical problems during the March 3 elections. The issues caused morning-long delays in casting ballots as election workers either turned away voters or resorted to the more time-consuming traditional paper check-ins.
KNOWiNK’s poll pads, which resemble tablet computers, are used by voters to check in at voting centers. The devices are designed to display a prompt for poll workers to quickly identify a voter’s party, which triggers the appropriate ballot.
https://www.elpasoinc.com/news/local_news/company-apologizes-for-el-paso-election-glitches/article_dd90361c-5cce-4e05-9949-a11ea3108448.html
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