Early Voting Ends Oct. 30; Election Day Is Nov. 3

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

HOUSTON COUNTY – Houston County voters have through Friday, Oct. 30, to cast an early ballot before the Tuesday, Nov. 3, general election.

Early voting is available Sunday, Oct. 25, from 1 to 7 p.m., then Monday through Friday, Oct. 26–30, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Houston County Senior Citizen Center, 716 W. Wells St. in Crockett. Registered voters from throughout the county can use that location during early voting.

Those waiting until Election Day must vote at the polling location assigned to their voting precinct. The county’s election notice lists several consolidated locations, making it important to check the correct polling place before leaving home.

The election includes federal, state and county offices, along with a tax-rate proposition for voters living within Lovelady Independent School District.

Federal contests include U.S. Senate and U.S. House District 10. State offices include governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner and railroad commissioner.

Also on the ballot are State Board of Education District 8, Texas Senate District 3 and Texas House District 9.

Judicial races cover Texas Supreme Court chief justice and Places 2, 7 and 8; Court of Criminal Appeals Places 3, 4 and 9; 15th Court of Appeals chief justice and Places 2 and 3; and 12th Court of Appeals chief justice and Place 3.

Unopposed county candidates are Jim Lovell, county judge; Josh Liles, county court-at-law judge; Laura Goolsby, district clerk; Terri Meadows, county clerk; Brittani Womack, tax assessor-collector, unexpired term; Tiffany Harrison-Byers, county treasurer; Willie Kitchen, Precinct 2 commissioner; Jimmy Henderson, Precinct 4 commissioner; Mike McCreight, Precinct 1 justice of the peace; and Ronnie Jordan, Precinct 2 justice of the peace.

Lovelady ISD Proposition A asks voters to ratify a $0.6969 tax rate per $100 valuation, producing a 5% increase in maintenance-and-operations revenue, or $409,000.

For Election Day, voting precincts 4 and 12 will share the Houston County Senior Citizen Center. Precincts 7 and 18 will share the Lovelady Community Center, 124 E. Cox St. Other voters should consult the county’s complete precinct polling-place list.

The deadline to apply for a ballot by mail was Oct. 23. That deadline concerned applications, not the final day of in-person early voting, which remains Oct. 30.

Sample ballots and the complete list of voting locations are available through the Houston County elections page at www.co.houston.tx.us/page/houston.Elections. Voters can review those materials before heading to the polls to confirm their location and the contests appearing on their ballot.

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]