Palestine Mayoral Runoff Election to be Held at PISD Administration Building

Special to The Messenger

PALESTINE – The polling location for the mayoral race runoff will be held at the Palestine Independent School District (PISD) Administration Building.

On May 7, 2021, City Council members met to canvass the results from the general election and to set the date and location for the runoff election for mayor. Mayor Steve Presley, and Councilmembers Larissa Loveless (District 1), Ava Harmon (District 2), Vickey L Chivers (District 3), Dustin Frazier (District 4), and Justin Florence (District 6) voted in favor of using the PISD Administration Building as the sole polling location on election day.

 According to the Texas Election Code, Title 4. Time and Place of Elections, Chapter 43. Polling Places, Subchapter A. Number and Location of Polling Places, counties with a population of less than 175,000 may consolidate polling locations as long as the sole polling place is located within 25 miles of a voter’s residence. The PISD Administration Building falls within these guidelines.

Some members of the community have voiced their concerns about the election day polling location. City officials took the residents’ concerns into consideration and contacted the Secretary of State for advisement on the matter.

The Secretary of State responded and stated that holding elections at the PISD Administration Building does not violate any part of the election code. Furthermore, moving a polling location so close to election day is reserved for situations where public safety is a concern. Therefore, the election day voting location will remain at the PISD Administration building.

As established by Chapter 33 of the Texas Election Code, mayoral candidates have the option of appointing poll watchers on voting day to ensure a fair and honest election. Anyone concerned with ethical misconduct during this and all elections is encouraged to contact the Texas Ethics Commission to submit a complaint. The City of Palestine mayoral runoff election will take place on Saturday, June 12, 2021, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the PISD Administration Building, 1007 Park Avenue, Palestine, Texas 75801.