Editor's Note: Betty Morrow received 78 write in votes on Tuesday. She was also sworn in on Monday to replace Jeff for the remainder of his term.

(Clinton, KY October 30, 2012) – When City Councilman Jeff Morrow passed away on October 17th, after a short illness, it was too late to remove his name from the ballot. Morrow, a Navy veteran, had served on the City Council for twelve years.  Local officials were informed that while his name could not come off the ballot, votes for Morrow would not be counted.  All members of the City Council are on the ballot and no opponents filed for a seat. So, Morrow’s seat would be left unfilled if a candidate did not step forward.

His wife, Betty, is doing just that. She filed to become a write in candidate on the November ballot, asking voters to make her the sixth member of the Clinton City Council. Last Friday was the deadline to file to become a write in and she was the only candidate to file for this seat.  Morrow won’t be the only write in candidate on the ballot in Hickman County. In tiny Columbus, only one person, Kay Ferguson, officially filed to become a member of the Columbus City County.  Five other women, Vesenessa Lightner, Melissa Griffith, Rose Mary Harper, Janice DeBerry and Destiny Holder, filed their paperwork to be write in candidates for five open seats.  Poll workers are not allowed to tell voters about Morrow. They can show the list of write in candidates to a voter who asks.

Mrs. Morrow is a political veteran in her own right. She chairs the Hickman County Democratic Committee and is a past member of the Kentucky State Democratic Committee. She served as City Clerk for the City of Columbus and has sixteen years experience in government, as she explains in the ad she share with us that will be running in local papers.

(In the interest of full disclosure, yes, that is OUR Ivan C. Potter’s name above the write in line. Ivan’s running for his second term on the Clinton City Council.)