The clock is ticking and the races are on.

In less than a month, Lawrence County voters will go to the polls and decide the fate of three statewide issues, four local issues and countless township trustee, municipal and school board races.

Lawrence County Board of Elections Deputy Director Eric Bradshaw is predicting a light voter turnout.

“My guess is 30 percent,” Bradshaw said. “The absentee (number of requests) is showing that, too.”

That office has gotten 2,200 application for absentee ballots thus far. The deadline for applying by mail for an absentee ballot is Oct. 31. The deadline to register to vote in person on election day was Oct. 5.

State issues

Ohio voters will take another look at the idea of casino gambling. If it passes, the issue on the ballot would create one casino each in Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and Toledo.

Also on the ballot, an amendment to create a livestock care standards board that would establish and implement minimal care standards for poultry and livestock.

A third constitutional amendment would allow for the issuance of bonds to compensate Iraq, Persian Gulf and Afghanistan war veterans.

Local requests

There are four local issues on the ballot; all but one are renewal levies.

Lawrence Township is asking voters to renew its one mil fire protection levy. Likewise, the village of Chesapeake is asking voters to continue funding a 1.5 mil fire protection levy.

Upper Township voters will vote whether or not to keep a two-mil fire protection levy.

The lone exception is a one-mil expense levy for the village of Coal Grove. It was offered in a previous election and voters rejected it. Village officials are hoping for better luck this time.

A change of place

For Ironton voters, new schools will also mean new polling places because many of the city’s old school buildings did double duty on election day in years past. This year, many Ironton voters are in for a bit of shift.

“With West Ironton, we moved those precincts to the new K-8 building,” Bradshaw said. “And the voters who used the middle school, they will use the new K-8 building. Central school, we moved those precincts to the Conley Center and the voters who used to go to Whitwell to vote will now go to the Open Door School,” Bradshaw said.

So who is running for what?

Township trustee

Aid — (ELECT 2)

Brian Pancake, John Robinson, Wayne Taylor, Donny Craft and George Gabriel Patterson

Decatur — (ELECT 2)

Ronnie Cox, Tim Blagg, Timothy Qualls, John McNeal and Tyler Boggs

Elizabeth — (ELECT 2)

Shannon Summers, Greg Boggs, Ron Davis, Charles Maynard, Brian Kidd, Ricky Markel, Darrell Perry

Fayette — (ELECT 2)

Simon Gore, Mike Finley and Perry Brock

Hamilton —

(ELECT 2)

Bob Blankenship, Forrest Kerns Jr., and Larry Fraley

Lawrence —

(ELECT 2)

Scott Gore and Verna Harper

Mason — (ELECT 2)

Jamie Klaiber, Shannon Payne, Justin Simpson, Stephen S. Colegrove, Paula Wilson, Corey Watson, Jeff Estep, Church Self and Roger Callicoat,

Perry — (ELECT 2)

Barry Blankenship and Jeff Joseph; write in: Lawrence Hysell

Rome — (ELECT 2)

Dean Cooper, Mark Bailey, Brian Pinkerman and Ed Smith

Symmes — (ELECT 2)

Ronald Hatfield, Fayne Taylor and Eddie Mitchell,

Union — (ELECT 2)

Mike Curry, Rick Gue, Doug Baise and Dain Spears,

Upper — (ELECT 2)

Don Klaiber, Christopher Knipp, Robert J. Ackerman, James Burke Jr., Mike McDaniels and Phillip Snowden

Washington — (ELECT 2)

Jerry E. Kelley and Peggy Horner

Windsor — (ELECT 2)

Donald Adkins, Robert E. Burcham and Brian Williams

Ironton and

village Councils

Athalia — (ELECT 4)

Benjamin Keeney, Lester Brumfield Sr., Ervin Napier Jr., Debra Evans, Christina Ray

Chesapeake — (ELECT 4)

Richard McMaster, Paul Hart Richard Stover; write in: Scott Taylor

Coal Grove — (ELECT 4)

Frederick Phillip Roush, Kyle McKnight, Juelda Collins, Bob Self, Glen Markins, Chris Brammer and Aaron Stewart

Hanging Rock — (ELECT 4)

Susan Fatony, John Waginger, Jarrod Robinson and Jeannette Waginger

Ironton – (ELECT 4)

Bob Cleary, Leo Johnson, Mike Lutz, Beth Rist, Hugh Scott and Dave Frazer

Proctorville — (ELECT 4)

Brenda Chapman, Justin Wurtzler, Raymond W. Shephard, Jeffrey J. Chapman, Larry David Peters

South Point — (ELECT 4)

Robert Armstrong, Ronald West, Danny A. Smith, David Classing

School boards

Lawrence County ESC — (ELECT 3)

Roland Hayes, Phillip Carpenter and Ray I. Malone

Chesapeake — (ELECT 2)

Kenneth Wolfe, Jerry Osborne, Grover Smith, Charles Sanders and Bill Pratt

Dawson-Bryant – (ELECT 3)

Jamie Murphy, Debra Drummond, Sadie Murphy, Michael Nourse, Katy Ford, Denise Paulus, Tim Stormes and Gary Dutey.

Fairland — (ELECT 3, one unexpired term)

Greg Crabtree, Janice Singer, Matt Ward, Lester Brumfield Jr., Gary Sowards, Timothy Fisher, Brian Morgan and Martin Appleton.

Jason Gorby (for unexpired term)

Ironton – (ELECT 2)

Jay Zornes, A. Burton Payne, Jerry Brownstead and Daniel Hartwig.

Rock Hill — (ELECT 2)

Wanda Jenkins and Paul David Knipp

South Point — (ELECT 2)

Rita Vance, Terry Blake, Les York, Rose Christian

Symmes Valley — (ELECT 3)

Chris Thompson, Hope Rowe, S. Kent Wells, Tommy Shepherd, Steve Brown, Luther Waugh, Ryan Sells and Greg Ralph