Twenty days from now marks an important deadline. Oct. 7 is the final day to register to vote or to transfer registration for the fall election.

That’s important for several reasons. 

The first day a voter may cast an absentee ballot in the office of the Jackson County clerk is Oct. 8. Voters may cast a ballot in such a manner until noon Nov. 4.

This year’s municipal election is Nov. 5 with voting from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

So if you don’t register, you can’t vote.

And there is good reason to want to vote.

Besides the Seymour mayor’s race that features Democrat Rexanne Ude and Republican Matthew Nicholson and the clerk-treasurer’s race featuring Democrat Robin Ann Carpenter and Republican Darrin Ray Boas, every county seat is up for election with all but one race contested.

Those, as they appear on the ballot, are:

• Council District 1: Democrat John J. Reinhart and Republican Matthew Wheeler
• Council District 2: Republican Jerry Hackney and independent Chad D. Malone
• Council District 3: Democrat Ollie M. Knott, Republican Chad Hubbard and independent Marcus L. Sewell
• Council District 4: Republican Seth L. Davidson (unopposed)
• Council District 5: Republican Michael S. Fickert and independent David Earley
• Council at-large: Democrats Lloyd Hudson and Joshua L. Ratliff, Republicans Bret M. Cunningham and Drew Storey, independent Eric J. DiBlasi Jr. and Libertarians Erin Pyle Meadors and Richard R. Meadors

Voters have a choice about which candidate in their district and which at-large candidates they want to support with their vote. It’s an important choice.

Why?

Because the city council represents the check on the mayor and controls the city’s purse strings. The mayor sets the vision for the city, but the council must approve expenditures that make the vision reality.

Voters in Brownstown will have the chance to elect either Republican Gregory Goshorn, the incumbent, or Democrat Pamela R. Fleetwood to the Ward 1 council seat, and there’s also a race for clerk-treasurer between Democrat David Willey and Republican Sonya Nale.

The remaining four town council candidates, Republican Sharon L. Koch, Ward 2, Republican Gary Drake, Ward 3, Democrat Mark Reynolds Sr., Ward 4, and Republican Timothy L. Robinson, Ward 5, are running unopposed. Koch, Drake and Reynolds are incumbents.

Crothersville voters also will choose a clerk-treasurer from Republican Staci J. Peters and Democrat Lenvel "Butch" Robinson.

Voters in that town also will pick five at-large council members from a list of seven candidates: Republicans Danieta S. Foster, James R. Greathouse, Jason P. Hillenburg, Katherine M. Masters and Chad G. Wilson and Democrats Brandon K. McIntosh, Cedric T. Nichols and Geoffrey S. Walker. Foster and Wilson are incumbents.

Medora voters will fill the town’s three council seats by picking three from Republicans Jerry L. Ault, James L. Davers, an incumbent, Rhonda D. Freeman and Pamela Smith and Democrat Robert K. Thompson, an incumbent. Longtime Medora Clerk-Treasurer Betty M. Campbell, a Democrat, is unopposed.

To those who have already registered to vote, we commend you.

To those who have not, there’s still time.

The voter registration office within the Jackson County Clerk’s Office makes the process easy, whether in person or online.

You also can register to vote on National Voter Registration Day. The Jackson County Public Library and Jackson County Clerk Melissa Hayes also are partnering for an event from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday in the lobby of the library, 303 W. Second St., Seymour.

For information on voter registration and qualifications, visit the clerk’s office at jacksoncounty.in.gov or call 812-358-6120.