Liberty County commissioners approve plan for new voting precincts

There are some important changes being made to Liberty County’s voting precincts. The changes include the consolidation of some precincts, the elimination of others and the creation of one new precinct.

Working with the law firm of Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta, Liberty County Elections Administrator Klint Bush developed a map that was presented to county commissioners at the regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 23. Bush explained to Bluebonnet News that the lines for the voting precincts were based on the 2020 U.S. Census.

“At the time of redistricting, when you redo your commissioner precincts, then your voting precincts automatically change,” he said. “We could have kept as many precincts as we had previously but I didn’t think it was appropriate for the taxpayers. We don’t need voting precincts where only a couple hundred people are voting.”

The map approved by commissioners eliminates nine voting boxes and makes the following changes:

• Combine Pct. 15 and Pct. 1
• Combine Pct. 16 and Pct. 8
• Split election Pct. 23 at Plum Grove and north of CR 343; this would create a new precinct – 31- for Plum Grove that would be activated for city elections
• Pct. 20 takes in portions of Pct. 7 for commissioner precinct adjustments and absorbs almost all of Pct. 12
• Pct. 7 takes a small portion Pct. 12 for commissioner precinct adjustments
• Pct. 25 is split into Pct. 9 north of CR 308 and picks up territory from Pct. 28 along the eastern boundary at SH 321 at FM 1008
• Combine Pct. 14 and Pct. 10
• Pct. 3 takes in portions of the northern portion of Pct. 17 following new commissioner precinct lines (CR 2355 to FM 770 N to Perkins) and takes in completely all of Pct. 27
• Pct. 13 takes in the southern portion of Pct. 17 up to the new commissioner precinct boundary (CR 2355 to FM 770 N to Perkins)
• Combine Pct. 5 with Pct. 19
• Pct. 30 takes in a portion of Pct. 22
• Pct. 22 loses territory to Pcts. 30 and 24
• Pct. 24 gains territory from Pcts. 22 and 30
• Pct. 29 is combined with Pct. 24
• Pct. 26 loses territory to Pct. 20
• Pct. 9 gains territory from Pct. 25 and loses a small area to Pct. 8 and takes in the remaining territory from Pct. 28

Election precincts that remain unchanged:

• Pct. 4
• Pct. 11
• Pct. 6
• Pct. 18
• Pct. 21
• Pct. 2

Election precincts combined with existing precincts and are removed:

• Pct. 15
• Pct. 16
• Pct. 12
• Pct. 14
• Pct. 5
• Pct. 17
• Pct. 27
• Pct. 28
• Pct. 29

The changes will have some cost-savings for the County from the reduction of poll workers. It also will provide a surplus of voting machines that can be deployed in the event another machine breaks down.

“We had two voting precincts in Liberty that were literally 200 yards from each other – one at the Jack Hartel Building and one at Liberty City Hall. It just doesn’t make sense to have both. We now will have all voting for those two boxes at the Hartel Building,” Bush said.

Voters may still be confused about their precincts, but Bush said new voter registration cards will be mailed out in January. On these cards, the precinct number will be listed.