AISD, hospital move forward with election
By Kathy Thomson
Thursday, April 2 is the last day to register to vote or make a change of address effective for the May 2 local board elections.
Voter registration applications can be found online at votetexas.gov, or by contacting county voter registrar Belinda Perez at the Tax Assessor-Collector office at the Shackelford County Courthouse. Access to the Courthouse is currently limited due to -COVID-19, so those needing to register should contact call 325-762-9420 or email at belinda.perez@shackelfordcounty.org.
Vote By Mail
Shackelford County voters who wish to vote by mail ballot for the Shackelford Hospital District or the Albany ISD election can submit applications. However, the vote by mail applications for this election should not be sent to the courthouse.
Voters are eligible to vote by mail if they will be away from the county on Election Day and during the hours that early voting is conducted, are sick or disabled, are 65 years of age or older on Election Day, or are confined in jail.
In light of the current pandemic, those who are eligible to vote by mail are encouraged to consider doing so.
To request a mail-in ballot for school board and/or hospital board elections, registered voters should contact AISD administrative assistant Morgan Whitley at Albany ISD, PO Box 2050, Albany TX 76430, or hospital district secretary Regina Whitt at PO Box 3010, Albany TX 76430.
The vote by mail application can also be downloaded online at the Texas Secretary of State’s website, filled out, and faxed to the hospital district at 325-762-2342 or Albany ISD at 325-762-3876 for either or both of those ballots.
The last day to apply for a ballot by mail for the May 2 election is April 20, and mail ballots must be received by election officials before the close of voting, 7:00 p.m. May 2.
The election itself is Saturday, May 2, and early voting will take place weekdays from April 20-28.
Option to Postpone
Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation on March 18 allowing, but not requiring, local elections to be postponed until Nov. 3 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
AISD and the hospital district are still planning on holding their elections on the original date. The City of Moran, the only other local entity with seats to be voted on this cycle, has opted to postpone their election until Nov. 3.
“We did have the option to postpone, but the plan is to continue on with the May 2 election,” Whitley said. “The hospital board has agreed to go on also.”
The other county entities, including the City of Albany, Moran ISD, and the Fort Griffin Special Utilities District, have all cancelled their elections because there are no opposed races.
Contested Races
There are two seats being elected for the Albany ISD board of trustees
Robert Montgomery is unopposed for returning to the Place 1 seat.
Paul Johnston and incumbent Ginny Ivy and have both filed for the Place 2 position on the local school board.
Five candidates have filed for the four available at-large seats on the Shackelford County hospital board including incumbents Janna Ledbetter, Chris Beard, Myra Hise, and John Ayers as well as newcomer John Peterson.
Running for Moran City Council later in the year is Christal Herrell, who is unopposed for the remaining one year of the two-year term formerly held by Stanley Reeves. Also on the ballot for the three two-year seats up for election this cycle are incumbents Tyler George, Cindy Huskey, and Dora Cook Leonard along with newcomers Carlton Edgar and John Steninger.
Primary Runoffs
Due to coronavirus concerns, Gov. Abbott postponed the Democratic and Republican Primary Runoff Elections until Tuesday, July 14, with early voting to take place from July 6-10.
