Friday, Nov. 4, is the last day to vote early in the Nov. 8 mid-term election. As of noon Monday, Oct. 31, more than 7,600 people have cast their ballots in the first week of early voting in Liberty County.
The highest early voter turnout among the county’s four voting centers is at the Dayton Community Center with 2,933 voters. The Cleveland Civic Center has seen 2,554 voters. The Jack Hartel Building in Liberty has received 1,484 voters and Hardin City Hall has had 716 voters.
Liberty County Election Administrator Klint Bush says the early voting numbers reflect a higher-than-normal turnout in Liberty County for a mid-term election.
“I think people are aggravated and are voting,” Bush said.
While election operations overall are going as expected, Bush said his office has seen an abnormal amount of limited ballot voters this year. These ballots are being submitted by people who claim Liberty County is their residence, though they are not registered here and have never voted in Liberty County.
“They could be people who have moved to the area and failed to register here. They will not be allowed to vote in local races and only get to vote in statewide races,” Bush said. “We also have to call the home county where they are registered and cancel their old voter file to make sure they aren’t voting in both locations.”
Limited ballot votes occur in most elections, though it is usually just a couple of ballots per election in Liberty County. This year, the Liberty County Elections Office has received 20 limited ballots.
“Elections administrators statewide are reporting the same thing happening in their counties. It may be because we have had a lot of new people move into Texas,” Bush said.
If you are uncertain about where to vote on Election Day, Nov. 8, please read this Bluebonnet News article: