As the July 13 runoff draws near, Republican candidates for Chilton County superintendent of education Tommy Glasscock and Dave Hayden share at least one desire for residents: get out and vote.

Both expect a lesser turnout next Tuesday but hope they can encourage voters to hit the polls in time.

“We feel really good,” Glasscock said. “Everywhere we go, it seems really good right now. We’ve been door to door all week long. We feel like we’ve gotten our message out.”

Glasscock said his intent was to get county businesses behind his campaign.

“Our whole key was to get the community involved and back into education,” he said.

Hayden predicts a tight race but remains optimistic.

“It looks like things are pretty close,” Hayden said. “It depends on who gets out and votes. Runoff turnout is usually light, but I feel good about things. I just hope my support turns out.”

Hayden said he is currently visiting as many people as possible face-to-face to influence them to make the trip to polls on Tuesday.

Before they cast their ballot, he wants voters to consider what each candidate has already done in the field of education.

“I just think they should evaluate both of us and make up their own minds,” Hayden said. “They can look at our pasts and look at what we’ve done. If they see fit, choose one of us and vote.”

Glasscock also thinks voters should focus more on what the candidates have already done instead of what promises might have been made.

“I’m somebody who’s going to work hard,” Glasscock said. “My work ethic stands behind that. We’ve had a creative campaign, and we believe in being creative in order for education to survive. We can’t educate like we’ve been educating. Look at what we’ve done, not what people tell you they’re going to do.”

Polls in Chilton County will open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday and close at 7 p.m. that evening.