In 2016, Tuttle defeated longtime clerk Ron Vincent, who had served as Clark County Clerk of Courts for nearly three decades. Tuttle ran on the platform that the clerk’s office had lagged in technology under Vincent and said she would bring changes to make accessing records easier for residents, attorneys and other court staff.
If re-elected, Tuttle said she will continue to focus on technology advantages like offering images of some court filings online.
“I have made remarkable changes in these past three years, but there is so much more service I can give with the relationships I have made across the state and across the judicial system,” Tuttle said. “We are continuing to grow in our usage of our case management system and that will be key to making the clerk’s office one of the most efficient offices in the county.”
Tuttle said she also plans to continue to review the clerk’s office records to return case deposit money.
“I have put a lot of time and energy into this position and there is still work to be done. Change is hard for people and some of my changes have had to be implemented gradually and many of my changes to best practices have been met with resistance,” Tuttle said.
Tuttle has been a practicing attorney for more than six years. Prior to that, she worked in banking for five years.
Read previous coverage on Tuttle: Clark County clerk says judges are harassing her because she’s a woman
More: Clark County’s new title office has drive-thru
Bleything is a 34-year alumna of the Clark and Madison County Department of Job and Family Services. At the department, Bleything worked in the Child Support Enforcement Agency, where she “certified child support records and attended court hearings to testify to the accuracy of child support records,” Bleything said.
For the last four years, Bleything has worked as a real estate agent.
“I decided to run for Clerk of Court because I was approached by several community members, who knew I had the experience with the courts, experience in record keeping and the ability to build relationships to run an efficient office,” Bleything said.
If elected, Bleything said she plans to organize meetings with Clark County judges and court personnel to “establish expectations and a vision for the clerk’s office,” and “increase employee retention so that (the office) can have informed and knowledgeable staff.”
“Some of my platform issues are to build effective relationships with the community who relies on the Clerk of Courts,” Bleything said. “I am committed to leading the clerk’s office in the right direction by retaining a well-trained staff who are effective at their job.”
Read more election coverage: Clark County set to have competitive election races in 2020
Early voting for March’s primary election kicked off on Wednesday. Clark County residents who wish to take part in it can vote at the Clark County Board of Election’s office located at 3130 E. Main St. in Springfield.
The board’s hours are: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays from Feb. 19 to March 6; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 7; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 9 to March 13; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 14; 1 to 5 p.m. March 15 and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 16.
The primary election will be held on Tuesday, March 17.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU VOTE:
• Early voting is at the board of elections office. The Clark County Board of Elections is located at 3130 E. Main St. (formerly E. National Rd.) Springfield. The hours are: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays from Feb. 19 to March 6; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 7; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 9 to March 13; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 14; 1 to 5 p.m. March 15; and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 16.
• All vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by Monday, March 16. You may have to ask your post office to postmark the envelope. You may hand-deliver your vote-by-mail ballot to the elections office any time until 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
• Election Day is March 17, and polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and if you are in line when polls close you will be allowed to cast a ballot.
The Springfield News-Sun is committed to providing unmatched coverage of Clark and Champaign County elections and will continue to provide in-depth analysis on candidates running in 2020.
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