Elections office preparing for next round of voting

(Seguin) — With the March 3 joint primary election now complete, local election officials say their focus is already shifting to the next series of elections scheduled across Guadalupe County.

The Guadalupe County Elections Office is reminding residents that while the primary is over, voters will soon have multiple opportunities to head back to the polls — including a special city, a uniform election and a primary runoff in Guadalupe County.

Michelle Shields, the county’s interim elections administrator, says the work for election staff is far from finished.

“So, we have the city of shirts special election, which early voting starts next Wednesday, March 18th. And that election day is on April 4th. And then we have the cities and schools, which is on May 2nd. And so that one will also start April 20th for early voting and end on the 28th,” said Shields.

Looking closer, voters in Schertz will be the first to return to the polls for a special election to fill the unexpired term for the City Council Place 6 seat. Candidates appearing on the ballot include Sarah Dietz, Luz Ares, Tiffany Gibson and Raquel Gutierrez. That election is scheduled for April 4.

After that, voters across the county will participate in the May 2 uniform election, which will include city council and school board races for various communities and districts. This includes a $65 million bond election in the Navarro ISD plus ballot items for the city of New Braunfels and a $295 million bond election in the Schertz-Cibolo Universal City ISD.

In addition to those elections, Guadalupe County will also host a Republican primary runoff on May 26th for the Precinct 4 county commissioner race. Facing off will be incumbent Stephen Germann and Joel Hicks.

Shields says with these elections approaching quickly, her office wants to ensure voters know when and where they can participate.

Shields says one of the most important things voters can do ahead of upcoming elections is to review the sample ballots that are posted on the elections office website.

Shields says voters should remember that participation in the runoff depends on which party’s ballot they selected during the March primary.

“May 26th, if it’s Republican and Democratic, if it’s both runoffs, then if you voted Republican, you’re going to vote Republican in the runoff. If you voted Democratic in the primary, you’re going to vote Democratic in the runoff. If you did not vote in the primary at all, then you’re able to come and vote in the runoff on either of the parties. You just have to choose one,” said Shields.

Shields explains who is eligible to vote in the Republican runoff, including how a voter’s ballot choice during the primary determines whether they can participate.

Election officials say anyone with questions about upcoming elections, voter eligibility, or polling locations should reach out for assistance.

Shields encourages residents to contact the elections office directly or visit the county’s elections website if they need more information about the upcoming elections.