OKANOGAN – There will be a Special Election on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011 to decide whether to change the make-up of the Oroville School Board to allow one at-large position.

The current school board is seeking approval of the change from five area-specific positions on the board to four area-specific positions and one at-large position. The board reasoned that with the recent U.S. Census results, the areas that make up the five positions on the board would be changing, so now would be a good time to ask for a change to having one at-large school director.

“This has to be done through a vote of the people in the school district and can not be decided just by the school board,” said Mila Jury, an election official with the Okanogan County Auditor’s office.

Other special elections are taking place in the Okanogan, Grand Coulee and Lake Chelan school districts, according to Jury.

The election official said the registration deadline for online registrations, mail-in registrations and transfers is 29 days prior to the Special Election to be held on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011. That deadline is Jan. 10, 2011. Any qualified elector who is not registered to vote in the Washington State may register to vote in person at the auditor’s office located in the Okanogan County Courthouse up to the eighth day before the election, which is Jan. 31, 2011.

Voters, who need assistance with voter registration forms or voting, may call (509) 422-7240 for assistance. Voters, who are unable to use the mail-in ballot, may use the Disability Access Unit available at the county auditor’s office at the courthouse, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays, starting Jan. 19, 2011 through Feb. 7, 2011. On Election Day, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, the Disability Access Unit is available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information or assistance, contact the auditor’s office at (509) 422-7240.