Are You Ready To Vote? – November Elections Near
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – Although few races in Houston County are competitive this year, there are a number of important local issues on the ballots for this year’s November elections – from crucial county issues to the question of who will lead the country.
You still have until Oct. 7 to register to vote, either in person at the county elections office, or by mail. The county is running the national elections, county elections, special elections in the city of Crockett and a measure for Lovelady Independent School District (LISD). Depending on where you live, some or all of those issues will appear on your ballot, without the need to travel to different locations to cast your votes. Stay tuned to The Messenger for updated polling locations and election-night coverage, as the votes are counted election night.
Early voting is set to begin Monday, Oct. 21, running until Friday, Nov.1, with election day itself Tuesday, Nov. 5. All early voting will be done at Houston County Senior Citizens Center, located at 716 W. Wells in Crockett.
In national and state races, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are the leading candidates to be the next President of the United States, Senator Ted Cruz faces challengers Colin Allred and Ted Brown, Pete Sessions is being challenged by Mark Lorenzen. There are several state races for Railroad Commissioner and several judgeships, while State Representative Trent Ashby is running unopposed.
Most of the county races were decided in their respective primaries, including Sheriff, District Attorney, County Attorney, both Constable positions and County Commissioners for Precincts One and Three.
These positions will be on the ballots, although there is only one contender in each race:
Houston County Sheriff – Zak Benge (R)
Houston County District Attorney – Daphne Session (D)
Houston County Attorney – Kristina Massey (R)
County Commissioner Precinct One – Gary Lovell (R)
County Commissioner Precinct Three – Gene Stokes (R)
Constable Precinct One – Morris Luker (R)
Constable Precinct Two – Kenneth “Red” Smith (R)
The position of County Tax Assessor-Collector is still contested, with Republican Challenger James Angerstein running against Democrat Incumbent Laronica Wooten-Smith.
For those in the city of Crockett, the petition to abolish Crockett Economic and Industrial Development Corporation (CEIDC) will be on the November ballot, along with an accompanying measure to use the related sales tax to give a tax break to property owners, although it is not entirely clear how this vote will be codified into policy, if passed.
For more information, contact Houston County Elections Office at (936) 544-3255 ext 243. Sample ballots and other information is available on the county elections page of the Houston County website.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
