Early voting now underway

By Donnie A. Lucas

In-person early voting started Monday for the May 7 constitutional amendment election and the Shackelford County Hospital District trustee election and continues through Tuesday, May 3.

All voting is being conducted at the Shackelford County courthouse from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. each workday, including during the lunch hour.

The deadline for requests for a ballot by mail ended Tuesday, with a total of 70 ballots sent out including annual ballot requests.

“We have had 45 ballots by mail returned out of the 70,” district and county clerk Cheri Hawkins said. “Mail ballots must be received by the day of the election on May 7. Even though that is a Saturday, we will check the mail at the post office at 2:00 p.m. to make sure we have picked up all that were posted.”

There are two proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot before Texas voters, both dealing with tax exemption limits for homeowners.

In addition to the two amendments, the Shackelford County Hospital District trustee election has been combined with the amendment ballot since both are county-wide elections.

Seven candidates have signed up for four at-large seats on the board. The term of office is two years.

The list of candidates includes incumbent Myra Hise, along with Jason Price, Mary Beth Jones, Kayla Herron, Rochelle Stewart, Kraymer Harbold and Elizabeth Roysdon.

Having both elections at the same polling place and on the same county-wide ballot will allow the two entities to split the cost of the election, according to Hawkins.

Hawkins added that voters in Precinct 404 will also get to vote in a trustee election for the Lueders-Avoca School District.

The polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on May 7 at the courthouse.