[September 05, 2011] LeFlore Early Voting Begins Friday Tweet POTEAU, Sep 05, 2011 (Times Record - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- In-person absentee voting starts Friday for three LeFlore County Sept. 13 special school bond elections. Would-be early voters in the Monroe, Shady Point and Red Oak school district elections can cast their ballots between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Friday and Monday at the LeFlore County Election Board office, 103 N. Church St., Poteau. Election Board Secretary Phillip Zearley said voters must bring proof of their identities as the voter ID law approved by 74 percent of the voters in Oklahoma's November 2010 election went into effect on July 1. Items used for proof of identity must have been issued by the federal government, the state of Oklahoma or a federally recognized tribal government, Zearley said. Documents that could be used for ID purposes are a state driver's license or identification card, a passport or a military ID card, he said. Voters may also use the voter ID card they received by mail after registering to vote. Oklahoma has a supermajority rule for school bond elections. To pass, the bonds must be approved by at least 60 percent of the voters. Monroe Public Schools Superintendent Karen LaRosa said district officials are asking voters to approve two bond issues -- one for $160,000 and one for $75,000. LaRosa said the $160,000 bond would be used to buy two new school buses. They will replace old, smaller buses, she said. The $75,000 bond would be used to build a larger bus barn to accommodate the bigger buses and for technology upgrades -- interactive SMART Boards and software for each classroom, LaRosa said. Shady Point Public Schools Superintendent Bruce Gillham said school officials are asking voters to approve a $250,000 bond issue that would fund several projects. The aim is primarily to increase student and school security, he said. Gillham said $80,000 would renovate the middle school lobby, adding a wall where the central office area opens directly to the middle school. He said $10,000 would buy exterior doors districtwide, and $5,000 would replace interior doors, as needed, Gillham said. Another $5,000 would replace single-pane windows with energy-efficient windows, reducing heating and cooling costs, he said. He said $60,000 replace the middle school's old heating and cooling systems in the middle school, and $90,000 would buy a Suburban and two vans for the district in lieu of a new bus. They'd enable teachers to transport small groups of children as the smaller vehicles would not require drivers to hold commercial drivers licenses, Gillham said. The Red Oak Public Schools district, which lies in both Latimer and LeFlore counties, is asking voters to approve a $1.31 million bond to build, equip, repair and remodel school buildings, acquire school furniture, fixtures and equipment, acquire and improve school sites. ___ (c)2011 Times Record (Fort Smith, Ark.) Visit Times Record (Fort Smith, Ark.) at www.swtimes.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]