Liberty County voters will see several changes when they head to the polls for the Nov. 3 election, including fewer Election Day locations and the relocation of several longtime polling places away from school campuses.
County Clerk Lee Chambers outlined the changes Tuesday, Aug. 25, during a regular meeting of the Liberty County Commissioners Court, where commissioners also discussed a fraudulent $4,500 county check to the tax office, received an update on repairs at the Liberty County Jail and acted on a lengthy list of county business.
Commissioners formally ordered the Nov. 3 election and approved the consolidation of voting precincts, leaving 15 Election Day voting locations across Liberty County. Pct. 1 Commissioner Bruce Karbowski was not in attendance at the meeting as he was attending training out of the area.
Chambers said the locations were selected in part because of accessibility, parking and the ability to accommodate curbside voting. All 15 Election Day sites will offer curbside voting. All 15 locations will be open for all days of early voting.
“We’ve needed locations that are easy to access, have parking, have ADA compliant access,” Chambers told the court.
She said the county has been encouraged to reduce the number of polling locations while expanding curbside voting.
Several familiar polling places are changing.
In Daisetta, voting will move from the Hull-Daisetta school campus to the new Daisetta community center. In Hardin, voters who previously cast ballots at Hardin City Hall will instead vote at the Hardin Community Center in the refurbished former senior center. As the election date nears, Bluebonnet News will provide exact addresses for all 15 voting locations.
In Devers, voting will move from the school to the fellowship hall at First Baptist Church.
“We will no longer bring voters onto school campuses,” Chambers said.
Notices will be posted at former polling places directing voters to the new locations.
In addition to county, state and federal races on the Nov. 3 general election ballot, Chambers said Liberty County will conduct elections for the City of Liberty, Tarkington ISD and a proposed management district. The City of Liberty election involves proposed sales tax changes, while Tarkington ISD voters will elect school board members. Voters in the proposed management district will decide whether to approve its formation.
Chambers also reminded residents that Liberty County uses countywide voting centers. Registered voters are not required to vote at a particular precinct location and may cast a ballot at any of the county’s open voting centers.
“You can vote anywhere,” she said.
The consolidation is something Chambers said the county will continue evaluating as election procedures change.
“I wish we could put one everywhere. We just can’t,” she said. “It’s expensive and it’s a lot more to handle on election night.”
Chambers said the county is essentially testing the 15-location arrangement ahead of additional election changes expected in future years.
Early voting will run Oct. 19-30, with Election Day set for Nov. 3.
In addition to the general election, Chambers said Liberty County will conduct a City of Liberty election involving proposed sales-tax changes, a Tarkington ISD school board election and a formation election for a management district.
Fraudulent check prompts look at added banking security
County officials are also considering additional safeguards after a fraudulent check for more than $4,500 was successfully deposited using what appeared to be a legitimate county check bearing Tax Assessor-Collector Richard Brown’s signature.
Brown told commissioners the fraudulent check was posted to the county property tax account July 28.
According to Brown, someone created a facsimile of a county check containing his signature, the county’s routing information and other features that made it appear legitimate. The check number had not yet been issued by his office.
The check was deposited through a mobile banking application, then removed money from that account. It was not discovered until the office reconciled its monthly bank statement later. A closer inspection showed differences in the font and other details.
The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office was contacted, and the incident remains under investigation.
Brown said the county previously experienced another check-fraud incident in which several checks were altered. Following the latest incident, his office is recommending implementation of a banking security system known as positive pay.
Under positive pay, the county would provide the bank with information about checks it has issued. The bank could then compare checks presented for payment against county records.
Commissioners took no action Tuesday because the agenda item was posted for discussion only. Brown is expected to return to the court with an action item allowing implementation of the security measure.
Jail repairs continue
Commissioners also received another progress report on continuing repairs at the Liberty County Jail.
Two doors needed to complete fire restoration work are still expected to arrive in November or December.
Five remaining exhaust fans that had been delayed in shipping were expected to arrive this week and be installed shortly afterward. Once installed, testing can begin. County officials said the exhaust work remains on track for completion around the end of August or beginning of September.
Another problem was discovered involving dampers on four air handlers. Rather than replacing the equipment, contractors have proposed repairing the dampers at an estimated cost of roughly $50,000.
The county, however, expects to recover considerably more money from two other portions of the jail project. Officials said approximately $140,000 will be returned after cancellation of a key-card project because of scope-of-work issues, while another $135,000 will be returned related to locks that did not fit properly.
That represents approximately $275,000 being returned to the county.
In other business, Liberty County commissioners:
- Approved the purchase of a John Deere tractor with an Alamo 30-foot boom mower for Pct. 2 for $72,413.02.
- Approved the purchase of three 2025 vehicles for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office for $121,014.25.
- Approved $6,192.31 for additional weapons and duty gear for law enforcement. Officials said the purchase should complete the current weapons acquisition, although tasers and pepper-ball guns are expected to come before the court separately.
- Renewed an interlocal agreement between the Pct. 5 Constable’s Office and Tarkington ISD to provide four school resource officers for the 2026-27 school year.
- Approved a no-cost interlocal agreement with the University of Texas Regional Security Operations Center for additional cybersecurity services. The program includes monitoring for stolen county credentials on the dark web and potential threats involving externally facing county systems.
- Approved the preliminary plat for Sterling Traditions subdivision, Section 4.
- Approved two LJA Engineering invoices, for $316,789 and $258,990, associated with the Liberty County-wide drainage study and master plan funded through the General Land Office’s CDBG-MIT MOD program.
- Accepted roads in White Oak Trails, Section 6, into the county maintenance system.
- Authorized the solicitation of professional grant administration and engineering services associated with the Texas General Land Office Mitigation Reallocation Program.
- Approved an agreement allowing the Pct. 6 Constable’s Office to participate in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s 287(g) Task Force Model and authorized acceptance of available federal reimbursements and other program-related funding. County officials said similar agreements are anticipated for other constables’ offices.
- Approved the dissolution of a tax-collection agreement involving the City of Dayton Lake Estates and Liberty County following an executive session. Approximately $21,472 in currently held collections will remain with the county pending further action by Commissioners Court.
- Tabled a proposed amendment to the county’s emergency ambulance services agreement with Acadian Ambulance that would allow medical triage of patients. The matter is expected to return during a special meeting.