Published: January 12, 2008 09:07 pm      

Indiana races garner little attention

COVINGTON, Ind. — Indiana voters will go to the polls May 6 to select nominees for the Nov. 4 General Election, but there may be little interest in local races.

"Most of the attention will be on the presidential races," said Jacqueline Brier of Warren County.

However, the presidential candidates may be determined before Hoosiers get a chance to vote. Indiana has maintained its primary on the first Tuesday of May for decades, while Illinois moved its primary from mid-March to the first Tuesday in February this year.

Petitions can be picked up at any county clerk's office. Filing begins Jan. 23 at the clerk's offices and runs through noon EST Feb. 22.

County seats open are:

--Fountain County: Treasurer, auditor, coroner, two commissioner seats and three council at-large seats.

--Vermilion County: Clerk, auditor, treasurer, coroner, surveyor, two commissioner seats and three council at-large seats.

--Warren County: Surveyor, treasurer, two commissioner seats and three council at-large seats.

School board members for Attica, Covington, North Vermillion and Warren County districts will be elected in non-partisan races.

--Attica: Three seats in Logan Township.

--Covington: Seats open in the city of Covington and in Mound Township.

--North Vermillion: Seats open in Highland, Eugene and Vermillion townships.

--Warren County: Washington and Adams-Warren townships.

While petitions can be picked up now, there has been little response.

"I have had two or three people come in and pick them up," said Fountain County Clerk Patty Gritten.

"There is no excitement yet," said Florinda Pruitt, interim clerk in Vermillion County.

REGISTER TO VOTE

If you need to register, contact your county clerk¡¦s office for the nearest voter registrar. Deadline to register to vote in the May 6 Primary is April 7.

If you want to check your voter status or where to vote, log on to http://www.indianavoters.com