While the 2025 consolidated election is still over a month away, early voting begins later this week – though voters in Monroe County have only a few actual choices on the ballot.

Election Day is Tuesday, April 1. Those looking to cast their votes sooner can do so starting this Thursday, as early voting is available every weekday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Monroe County Courthouse. Saturday voting will also be available at the courthouse on March 29 from 9 a.m. to noon.

As previously reported, two of Waterloo’s aldermanic seats are among this county’s few contested races.

Ward 3 has both a two-year seat and a four-year seat on the ballot. Jason Jones Jr. – who has previously run for alderman in the ward – and incumbent alderman Kyle Buettner are both running for the two-year position while alderman Tina Charron will be unopposed for the four-year seat.

The Ward 4 seat is also contested between Jordon Riley and Ryan Hirsch, both pursuing the position to be vacated by Alderman Russ Row Jr.

Uncontested positions on Waterloo’s city council include Ward 1 and Ward 2, with aldermen Matt Buettner and Jim Trantham keeping their respective seats.

Even as Waterloo’s races are quiet, Columbia’s are even more so with Mayor Bob Hill running unopposed with Ward 1’s Andrew Hitzemann, Ward 2’s Mike Lawlor and Ward 3’s Paul Khoury as well as City Clerk Derek Reichert.

Jason Mayer will be stepping up as Ward 4 alderman as he fills a seat being vacated by longtime Alderman Mary Ellen Niemietz.

In Valmeyer, Howard Heavner is set to remain village president with Robert Nowlan, Adam Tyberendt and Timothy Valentine serving as village trustees.

Hecker will see a change among its elected officials as current trustee Aaron Eckart takes over as mayor, taking the seat from Village President Charles Kujawski, who has served for several years but is not seeking reelection.

James Mueth, Gary Wittenauer and Arnold Eckart will be uncontested for three open trustee positions while Annette Schreder returns as village clerk.

School board elections will likewise be on the quiet side, though Waterloo will see some competition among Lloyd Jarden – who previously ran in 2023 – and incumbents Neil Giffhorn, James Yaekel and John Caupert who are pursuing three regular four-year terms.

A two-year term available following the retirement of previous board member Kim Ahne is currently being filled by Nathan Mifflin, who will see through the rest of the term as he is the only candidate to file for the remaining two years of the term.

Columbia’s school board will stay the same as only incumbents are on the ballot. These include board president Greg Meyer, board secretary Tyson Search, Andrea Khoury and Adam Hemken.

Valmeyer’s school board ballot is exceptionally quiet as only two candidates – Michelle Skaggs and Stephanie Johnson-Tyberendt – filed for three four-year terms.

With an additional two-year term and a four-year term open, per Monroe County Clerk Jonathan McLean, two write-in candidates are also now vying for the board with Amanda Knobloch running for the full term and Justin Scheibe running for the two-year term. Knobloch and Scheibe would each require 50 votes to be elected.

Other races in the county include the Waterloo Park District, which is also uncontested as current commissioner Keith Buettner and vice president Michael Nolte are not seeking reelection.

Commissioner Gina Pfund will hold her seat, and Curtis Haentzler – currently holding the seat vacated last year by Shelby Mathes – will be stepping into one of the other available four-year terms. James Perotti is uncontested for the final four-year seat, and the board will have to find someone else to finish the remaining two-year term.

The only other contested races on the ballot concern Monroe County Road District No. 2, as George Gregson and Alex Voelker are running for the commissioner seat and Sarah Heck and Kevin Poetker are running for the position of district clerk.

As far as ballot items, Waterloo voters will also be deciding on a referendum concerning whether or not the Waterloo Park District should borrow $6 million in bonds for the construction of a new community swimming pool.

While voters will be making some decisions in the next month, McLean voiced his expectations for voter turnout at around 15 percent given the fact much of the ballot is already decided.

“There’s not a whole lot of competitive races,” McLean said. “It’s a consolidated election, so we’re dealing with aldermen, school boards, park district, road districts… It’s not like November where we saw over 80 percent turnout.”

He did speak on the possibility of early voting and mail-in ballots having a positive effect on voter activity, however, given how popular these options have become in recent elections.

“We have a lot of people who are voting by mail,” McLean said. “That could potentially increase turnout if a significant number of people return their ballots.”

McLean further said his office is still taking applications for vote-by-mail.

For an application, a sample ballot or more information, visit mococlerk.com. The county clerk’s office can also be contacted at 618-939-8623.

“We’re here to help anybody anyway they prefer to vote, whether it’s by mail, early or on election day,” McLean said.