(Seguin) — The primary election season has officially arrived. The Demcratic and Republican primary elections will be held on Tuesday, March 5. Early voting begins today for both primaries.
Guadalupe County Elections Administrator Lisa Hayes says the primaries are partisan elections, and voters will have to choose which party’s election they want to vote in before they are able to receive a ballot.
“I think the most important thing for people to know, before they head out to the polls, is that this is a party primary election. And so what that means, is voters when they come out to vote, are going to have to select either a Democratic ballot or a Republican ballot before they can vote. And that’s a little bit different than what we see in November where all the different parties are on the same ballot. So, I think that’s an important item for the voters should be aware of. I definitely recommend that they go to our website and download their sample ballot, or come into one of our offices and get a sample ballot so that they’re prepared when they come to the polls.
“That often catches voters by surprise in the primary years because that is different than our other elections,” said Hayes.
Voters will not only need to be aware of the fact that they need to make a party affiliation with this election, but they also need to understand that they might not be eligible to vote in some races. Hayes says you may find yourself looking for a race that’s on another party’s ballot, or for a race that lies outside of the boundaries of your voting district.
“I think it’s important to note that there are candidate signs all over and that’s part of our process. But just because a voter sees a candidate’s sign, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the voter resides in that person’s district. So, that’s where the sample ballot comes in very handy, because a voter may see a candidate’s signs all over town, but they may not reside in that candidate’s district. And so, it’s important to know which party that candidate is in, and also if the voter lives in the district or not. Because that can generate some confusion when the voters come out to the polls, and the person they’re looking for isn’t on their ballot. And it may just be because the voter doesn’t actually reside in that candidate’s district,” said Hayes.
The primaries are administered by the Guadalupe County Elections Office on behalf of the local GOP and Democratic parties. Hayes says the elections will be held together to make it easier for voters to access ballots for both parties.
“In our county, we are doing a joint primary election, which means that the voters will come to the same polling place — whether they are voting Republican or Democrat. There’ll be one set of election judges, (and) one set of voting equipment. Everything is shared between the two different parties. From that perspective, everything will look exactly the same as it does in every other election. The primary difference being, that they will have to select whether they want a Republican or a Democratic ballot,” said Hayes.
There are a few rules that voters will need to follow when they arrive at the polls. Hayes says they want everyone to participate in the voting process, but following these rules will make it a better overall experience for everyone.
“In order to vote in Texas, the voter needs to present a photo ID. Typically what we see is a Texas drivers license or a military ID and things of that nature (or) a passport. But it is important for a voter to bring a photo ID. It’s also important to note that there is no recording devices allowed in a polling place. And that includes within 100 feet of the polls. So, outside any Election Day or early voting location, there’s what we call a distance marker, and once the voter passes that distance marker, they shouldn’t be wearing any campaigning or political gear, (and) they shouldn’t have their cell phone out and be using it. So again, this is where we go back to having a sample ballot or some kind of voting guide already marked on a hard copy and in their hands, because voters are not allowed — per Texas law — to use their cell phones within the polling place,” said Hayes.
There are local, state and federal races on each ballot. There are no locally contested races on the Democratic ballot in Guadalupe County, but there are some state and federal contested races on each Democratic ballot. All of the locally contested races appear on Republican ballots here in Guadalupe County. There’s a countywide race for the Republican nomination for Guadalupe County Sheriff. Sheriff Arnold Zwicke is not running again, after spending more than 20 years in office. Both Patrick Pinder and Joshua Ray are running for the GOP nomination for sheriff. The winner of this race will run unopposed during the general election in November. Sheriff Zwicke’s term runs through the end of this year, and the new sheriff would take office on January 1, 2025.
There’s also a heavily contested race for the Precinct 1 seat on the Guadalupe County Commissioners Court. Commissioner Greg Seidenberger is not seeking reelection, which opened up that seat to five-hopefuls. Jackie Ott, James Ransdell, Clint Taft, Bryan Underwood and Dustin Engelke are seeking the Republican nomination for this seat. The winner of this GOP nomination will earn the right to face the Democratic nominee, Nahomie Alanis; and the Libertarian nominee, Nolan Schmidt, who are both running unopposed for the nominations of their respective parties. There are several other local, state and federal contested races on the GOP ballot.
The early voting locations for the primaries elections in Guadalupe County include:
- The Guadalupe County Elections Office in Seguin at 215 S. Milam, Seguin, TX 78155;
- The Guadalupe County Elections Annex Office in Schertz at 1101 Elbel Road, Schertz, TX 78154;
- Cibolo Fire Station Number 2 – 3864 Cibolo Valley Dr., Cibolo, TX 78108;
- Central Texas Technology Center – 2189 FM 758, Bldg. B, Rm 159 New Braunfels, TX 78130;
- Redemptive Grace ministries – 2240 FM 725, New Braunfels, TX 78130;
- and at New Berlin City Hall – 9180 FM 775, New Berlin, TX.
Early voting hours at each location are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 20 to Friday, February 23; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, February 24; noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, February 25; and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, February 26 to Friday, March 1.
Sample ballots are available on the Guadalupe County Elections Office website, https://www.co.guadalupe.tx.us/elections. Voters can check their voter registration status by calling the elections office at 830-303-6363. Curbside voting is available for those voters, who are physically unable to enter the polling location without causing themselves harm. Curbside voting is available at all locations and the parking spots are clearly marked, although curbside voting can be conducted from any parking spot.