Early voting begins next week

Early voting will begin next week for the November General Election. On the ballot will be races for federal, state and local seats in Stephens County.

The first day of early voting will be Monday, Oct. 24 and be held at the Stephens County Tax Assessor/ Collector’s office in the courthouse. Voting will take place each weekday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, Nov. 4.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8 and voting will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Precinct 1 voters will cast ballots at the First National Bank Showcase and Tower Room, at 101 E. Walker St.; Precinct 2 at the First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, at 1601 W. Elliott St.; Precinct 3 at the Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce, at 100 E. Elm St.; Precinct 4 at the Breckenridge ISD Service Support Center, at 901 Hwy. 183 North; and Precinct 5 at Wayland Volunteer Fire Department, at 10883 FM 1852.

The last day to apply for a ballot received, not postmarked, by mail is next Friday, Oct. 28. The last day to receive a ballot by mail is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, if the carrier envelope is not postmarked, or at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9 if the carrier envelope is postmarked by 7 p.m. at the lo- cation of the election on Election Day, unless overseas or military voter deadlines apply. In order to vote by a ballot by mail, a voter must be 65 or older, be out of the county during voting times, or have a disability which classifies as “a sickness or physical condition that prevents the voter from appearing at the polling place on election day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or of injuring the voter’s health,” according to the Texas Election Code.

The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming was Tuesday, Oct. 11.

To be eligible to vote in the state you must be a U.S. citizen, resident of the county you submit your application, at least 17 years and 10 months old on the date the application is submitted and 18-years-old on election day, not finally convicted of a felony and not declared by a court to be totally or mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.

Eligible voters can register to vote in future elections by completing a voter registration application and returning it to the Stephens County elections office located at the courthouse. An application can be completed using the Texas Secretary of State’s online voter registration module at vrapp.sos. state.tx.us/index.asp.

Candidates

Local candidates who will be on the ballot, uncontested, are Michael Roach seeking reelection to Stephens County Judge; Christie Coapland seeking reelection to Stephens County District Clerk; Jackie Ensey seeking reelection to Stephens County Clerk; Sharon Trigg seeking reelection to the position of Stephens County Treasurer; Steven Spoon seeking reelection to the position of Stephens County Justice of the Peace; Eric O’Dell seeking reelection to Stephens County Commissioner Precinct 4; Mark McCullough seeking reelection to Stephens County Commissioner Precinct 2.

Roger Williams, the incumbent for U.S. Representative District 25, is the sole candidate from any party running for his current office.

Incumbent Greg Abbott will be running for Governor, with Beto O’Rourke vying for the position as the Democratic candidate. Also running for the seat are Delilah Barrios as the Green party candidate, Mark Tippetts as the Libertarian party candidate, and Jorge Franco, Deirdre Gilbert, and Mama Teachie Wysinger running as Independent candidates.

For Lieutenant Governor, incumbent cand idate Dan Patrick is running on the Republican side, with Democratic candidate Mike Collier contending for the position. Also running for the seat is Shanna Steele as the Libertarian party candidate.

Attorney General incumbent Ken Paxton will run as the Republican choice, with Rochelle Mercedes Garza competing for the seat as the Democratic candidate. Mark Ash with the Libertarian party is also seeking the position.

Republican incumbent Glenn Hegar is seeking reelection for the position of Comptroller of Public Accounts, with Democratic candidate Janet T. Dudding striving for the seat. V. Alonzo Echevarria- Garza with the Libertarian party is also running for the position.

Newcomer Dawn Buckingham is seeking the position of Commissioner of the General Land Office as the Republican choice, with Jay Kleberg from the Democratic party, and Alfred Molison, Jr. with the Green Party, seeking to take the position. Current land commissioner George P. Bush did not seek reelection and unsuccessfully attempted to unseat current AG Ken Paxton, winning only 32% of the vote against Paxton’s 68%.

Republican incumbent Sid Miller Commissioner of Agriculture is seeking reelection, with Susan Hays from the Democratic party seeking election to the seat. Railroad Commissioner incumbent Wayne Christian will appear on the Republican side, with Democratic candidate Luke Warford contending for the position. Also running are Hunter Wayne Crow with the Green party and Jaime Andres Diaz with the Libertarian party.

Incumbents Debra Lehrmann and Rebeca Huddle are running on the Republican ticket for the Justice of the Supreme Court, Place 3 and Place 5, respectively. Also running for Place 3 are Democratic candidate Erin A. Nowell and candidate Thomas Edward Oxford with the Libertarian party. Democratic candidate Amanda Reichek is seeking the seat for Place 5. Justice of the Supreme Court, Place 9 incumbent Evan Young is running as the Republican candidate against Democratic candidate Julia Maldonado.

The Court of Criminal Appeals will have three positions on the ballot. Incumbents Mary Lou Keel and Jesse F. Mc-Clure, III, for the Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 2 and 6, respectively. There are no other contenders for Place 2. Democratic candidate Robert Johnson is seeking appointment to Place 6. Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 5 incumbent Scott Walker is running as the Republican candidate, with Dana Huffman from the Democratic party competing for the seat.

The Justice for the 11th Court of Appeals District Place 3 incumbent W. Stacy Trotter is the sole candidate running for the seat. With the Republican party, Aaron Kinsey is seeking the seat for State Board of Education, District 15, with no other candidates seeking the position.

State Senator, District 10 Phil King from the Republican party. Democratic incumbent Beverly Powell withdrew from the election in April, stating that the redrawn district was “unwinnable.”

The State Rep. District 60 Republican incumbent Glenn Rogers is seeking reelection, with no others running for the seat. State Senator, District 28 incumbent Charles Perry is the only candidate from any party running for his current seat. U.S. Representative, District 11 incumbent August Pfluger is the only candidate from any party running for his current position.