A provisional ballot cast in Great Bend’s Third Ward could change the outcome of one city council race. Unofficial results Tuesday showed Cory Zimmerman winning the seat with 16 votes, while Doug Keiswetter had 15 and needed one to tie. Thomas Boor was a close third with 12 votes. All three were write-in candidates.
Great Bend Council incumbents who chose to seek reelection were unopposed in Tuesday’s general elections. In the third ward, incumbent Matt Hiss did not seek reelection, and in the fourth ward, incumbent Erika Julian did not seek reelection.
The Barton County Clerk’s Office provided unofficial election results. Write-in votes are only shown where they affect the outcome of the election.
Great Bend City Council
Ward 1
Vicki Berryman (incumbent), 109
Ward 2
Joel B. Jackson (incumbent), 104
Ward 3
Cory Zimmerman, 16
Doug Keiswetter, 15
Thomas Boor, 12
One provisional ballot
Ward 4th
Brock R. McPherson, 47.
Hoisington and Ellinwood both had multiple city council seats open. With no seats open, the City of Claflin did not hold an election this year.  
Hoisington elects its city council by ward, with two seats for each ward. This year, seats were open in all four. Nancy Farmer decided earlier this year that she would retire, so Travis Sinn ran unopposed for Ward One’s seat.  
In Ward Two, incumbent Jim Sekavec was challenged by Carrol Nather.
Ward Three’s incumbent Karen Van Brimmer was in a race with Don Doerschlag.
Brian Wilborn, representative for Ward Four, was challenged by Robert Bruce.  
At Ellinwood, all positions on the city council are elected at large. There were three seats open, but only two declared candidates, incumbents James McCormick and Kirk Clawson.  
However, two write-in candidates advertised in the Ellinwood Leader the week prior to the election.  They were Kathy Hines and Ken Lebbin, both of whom made a try for seats last year.    
Hines has served on the Ellinwood City Council previously, and in 2015 ran against Irlan Fullbright for the position of Mayor and lost.  Lebbin also ran for Ellinwood City Council last year, losing out to Alan Brauer and Gaila Nielsen. In 2014, Lebbin was appointed to serve the remaining term of Barton County Commissioner Don Cates, Claflin, who died tragically when his aerial sprayer hit power lines and crashed.  
The top three vote-getters will receive a seat on the council.  
Ellinwood Hospital District also elected two trustees.
 
While final votes will be canvassed next week, unofficial results of the Hoisington and Ellinwood city council and Ellinwood Hospital Board elections are as follows:

Hoisington City Council
Ward 1
Travis Sinn 19
Ward 2
Jim Sekavec (incumbent) 11
Carrol Nather 43
Ward 3
Karen Van Brimmer (incumbent) 38
Don Doerschlag 11
Ward 4
Brian Wilborn (incumbent) 29
Robert Bruce 12

Ellinwood City Council
James McCormick (incumbent) 188
Kirk Clawson (incumbent) 195
Write-ins 241
Kathleen Hines (write in) 96
Kenneth Lebbin (write in) 134

Ellinwood Hospital Trustee
Diann O’Neal 227
Joyce Schulte 205