Close to 1400 residents in the Sweet Springs Special Road District will have a pair of items to consider in a special election called for Oct. 7, 2025.

Voters will need to decide on whether to renew their tax levy of $0.3052 per $100 of assessed valuation, as well as select a road district commissioner. Saline County Clerk Brittni Burton says the election should have happened in April.

Burton petitioned a Saline County Circuit Court judge to allow the special election, which Judge Joshua Taylor granted Wednesday, Aug. 20. In her affidavit, Burton noted that the road district had submitted in December a petition for renewal of their tax levy with 17 signatures. The board then sent a statement in early January that said an election would not be required for the open commissioner seat on the district’s board, as Donald Vogelsmeier was the only candidate that filed. However, both the levy question and commissioner race were not included on sample ballots sent to all voters and printed in the Sweet Springs Herald in March. Both items will appear on the special ballot, which Burton says needs to happen in October so that if passed, the levy remains on this year’s tax statements.

Overseas military voters from the district can already request their ballots, while absentee voters can begin casting their ballots as early as Tuesday, . Burton says in addition to her office, the Sweet Springs City Hall will have the polls for both precincts in the special road district.

The full timetable of the special election is as follows:

Aug. 26 – absentee voting begins by mail or in person with documented excuse
Sept. 3 – last day for eligible residents to register to vote in the election
Sept. 23 – no-excuse, in-person absentee voting begins
Sept. 24 – last day to request mailed absentee ballots
Oct. 4 – Saturday in-person absentee voting at the Saline County Clerk’s office
Oct. 6 – last day for in-person absentee voting
Oct. 7 – election day; absentee ballots must be received no later than 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 – earliest date for final vote certification