(Seguin) — Today marks the final day of early voting in Guadalupe County, and elections officials say turnout has remained steady as voters prepare to head to the polls one last time before Election Day.
At the close of business Wednesday, a total of 11,925 ballots had been cast countywide.
Michelle Shields, interim elections administrator for Guadalupe County, reminds voters to arrive prepared to help the process move quickly and smoothly. Voters are required to present an approved photo ID, such as a Texas driver’s license, Texas personal identification card, handgun license, military ID or passport.
Shields says those who forget their ID may vote a provisional ballot but will have six days after Election Day to present valid identification at the Seguin Elections Office for their vote to count.
Because this is a primary election, voters must also select which party’s ballot they wish to cast when they check in. Texas does not register voters by party affiliation, so any registered voter will have to choose either Republican or Democrat.
Shields also reminds voters that certain rules are enforced at polling locations. Cellphones are not allowed inside the voting room, although paper sample ballots are permitted. Political signs, clothing or other campaign materials are also prohibited within 100 feet of the polling location entrance.
First-time voters and newly registered voters are encouraged to confirm their registration status, verify polling locations and review a sample ballot before arriving. Those who registered by mail and did not provide identification with their application may be required to show ID when voting in person.
The main early voting location is the new Guadalupe County Elections Office at 3251 N. Highway 123 in Seguin. Additional early voting sites include Cibolo Fire Station No. 2 in Cibolo, Redemptive Grace Ministries in New Braunfels, the New Berlin Community Center in New Berlin, and the Elections Office Annex in Schertz.
All local contested races in Guadalupe County for the March Primary appear on the Republican ballot.
Although running unopposed, former Guadalupe County Commissioner Precinct 3 Michael Carpenter appears on the ballot for Guadalupe County Judge. Carpenter stepped down from his commissioner seat after current Guadalupe County Judge Kyle Kutscher announced he would not seek reelection. With no Democratic challenger, Carpenter is positioned to assume the county’s top elected seat in January 2027.
Other contested races include County Commissioner Precincts 2, 3 and 4, County Court-at-Law Judge and Justice of the Peace Precinct 2.
In the Precinct 2 Commissioner race, Noah Webster faces Ronnie Clark for the seat being vacated by Commissioner Drew Engelke, who is not seeking reelection.
On the ballot for Commissioner Precinct 3 – Unexpired Term – are Allison Heyward and Jim Wolverton. Wolverton was recently appointed to the position following Carpenter’s resignation.
In Precinct 4, incumbent Stephen Germann faces challengers Mark Allen and Joel Hicks.
The Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace race features incumbent Sheryl Sachtleben and Willie Ybarra.
Countywide, voters will also decide the race for Guadalupe County Court-at-Law between incumbent Bill Squires and challenger John Green.
In Precinct 1, Katherine Torrence appears unopposed for Justice of the Peace and is set to replace longtime Judge Darrell Hunter, who is retiring.
Voters can learn more about the candidates through a special extended edition of the Saturday Topic radio program on KWED and by accessing the KWED Candidates Corner Guide available at SeguinToday.com. Links to both the radio program and online guide can also be found in the KWED Facebook page.