EARLY VOTING STARTS TUESDAY FOR CITY, SCHOOL BOARD, ESD ELECTIONS

  

Early voting gets underway today (Tuesday) for the May 3^rd elections in Washington County.

Voters can visit the Washington County Courthouse Annex today through Friday and on Monday and Tuesday, with hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.  No voting will take place over the weekend. 

The City of Brenham, Brenham ISD and City of Burton are all holding elections.  Additionally, voters who live inside the service territories of the Chappell Hill and Meyersville Volunteer Fire Departments will be able to vote on establishing an emergency services district (ESD) for the fire departments.

As of Monday, according to Washington County Elections Administrator Carol Jackson, there are 22,707 registered voters that can participate in the May 3^rd election, including 22,431 in Brenham ISD, 10,353 for the City of Brenham, 3,454 for the proposed ESD and 277 for the City of Burton. 

For the City of Brenham, two council races appear on the ballot.  Ward 1 incumbent Shannan Canales is challenged by Steve Soman, while At-Large Position 6 incumbent Leah Cook faces challenger Alan Lehmann.

The city also has a charter amendment election with 12 propositions to consider.

The Brenham School Board has three contested races.  Position 5 incumbent Tommie Sullivan did not file for re-election, and David Jantzi and Shawn Koonce are running for his seat.  Position 6 incumbent Natalie Lange also did not seek another term, so her position will be filled by either Justin Colley or Mike Garner.  Position 7 incumbent Jared Krenek is running against Walt Edmunds.

The Burton City Council has three seats up for election, as well.  Mayor Karen Buck is opposed by Position 3 Councilmember Jeff Eckhardt.  Position 1 and 4 incumbents Nathan Kalkhake and Paul McLaughlin are vying for re-election against respective challengers Chuck Johnson and Berneake Gantt.

When casting a ballot in person, voters must show one of the following approved forms of photo ID:

• Texas Driver License
• Texas Personal Identification Card
• Passport
• Texas Handgun License
• Military Identification Card
• Citizenship Certificate
• Texas Election Identification Card

Voters who do not possess and cannot reasonably obtain one of the seven approved forms of photo ID can fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the polls and present an alternative form of identification, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check, or a voter registration certificate.

Today is the last day that applications can be submitted for a ballot by mail.

Those who wait until Election Day to vote will go to their designated polling place, based on their voting precinct.  Election Day polling locations are the Washington County Expo Event Center, Friedens Church of Washington, Chappell Hill Volunteer Fire Department, Nancy Carol Roberts Memorial Library, Brenham VFW Hall, Blinn College Student Center, and – for City of Burton residents – Burton City Hall.

Additional election information can be found on the Washington County Elections Office website.