In the first day of early voting, which began Wednesday, October 14th, almost 500 Lakeland voters cast a ballot. Some local officials believe we could be on pace for a 75% voter turnout in Lakeland.
The city, historically, has had a low voter participation for local elections. Under former Mayor Wyatt Bunker, the local voting cycle was changed to be in sync with national elections to promote a higher turnout. Thus far, this seems to be a successful move.
Early voting continues through October 29th, 9:00-8:00 Monday-Friday and 8:00-4:00 on Saturday at the Refuge Church in Lakeland. Other early voting locations around the city are listed HERE.
In Lakeland, there are two Board of Commissioner seats up for election with three people running. Incumbent Commissioner Wesley Wright is seeking re-election. Mr. Jim Atkinson and Mr. Scott Carmichael are also running. For the Lakeland School Board, two seats are open, with Mr. Jeremy Burnett and Mrs. Michelle Childs running unopposed. A sample ballot from the Shelby County Election Commission can be found HERE.
