Voters to head to polls on primary election day

It’s election day in Terrell, Kaufman County and across Texas as voters head to the polls to determine the fate of party hopefuls for every position from governor to who will preside over Kaufman County’s 86th District Court.

Polls are scheduled to be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 30 locations across Kaufman County.

Texas Secretary of State Nandita Berry is wrapping up the Primary Election on Monday emphasized the new photo ID law, which requires registered voters to bring an approved photo ID with them to the polls.

“I encourage all Texas voters to get the facts about voting and exercise their right to help choose our candidates for local, state and federal elections in November,” said Secretary Berry. “Whether it’s on TV, radio, social media or VoteTexas.gov, I am reminding Texans to bring an approved photo ID to the polls this year. “

Berry said there are seven options available to comply with the photo ID law and the State of Texas is taking every possible action to make the process simple and easy.

To cast a ballot in person, registered voters need to present one of the following approved forms of photo ID:

• Texas Driver License – issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS)

• Texas Personal Identification Card – issued by DPS

• Texas Concealed Handgun License – issued by DPS

• United States Military Identification card containing the person’s photograph

• United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph

• United States Passport – issued by the U.S. government

• Election Identification Certificate – issued free by DPS.

In nearly two weeks of early voting, which ended this past Friday, more than 5,600 people went to the polls in Kaufman County, officials reported.

An increase in activity on Friday at four early voting locations in Kaufman County resulted in the largest one-day turnout of the nearly two-week early voting period.

County officials reported 1,251 people cast ballots on Friday — the final day of early voting for Tuesday’s political party primary elections. Early voting started on Feb. 18.

Friday’s total was about double any other early voting day, officials reported. In the final tally, ballots cast in the Republican primary out distanced Democratic votes by about a 10-to-one margin.

There were 5,063 ballots cast in the GOP primary to 552 for Democratic Party races.

In total, there were 1,033 Republican ballots cast at the Terrell location during early voting to 175 for Democratic candidates.

Other final day totals in Kaufman County included 484 ballots cast in Forney; 364 in Kaufman; and 127 votes cast at the Kemp location.

For Tuesday’s primary election there are 30 polling places in the county scheduled to be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Election officials said while voters had a choice of locations to cast ballots during early voting, that is not the case for the March 4 election day.

Voters will be required to vote at their assigned precinct as listed on their voter registration card, county officials said. Early voting ended Friday and final totals were not available by press time.

Both parties will be selecting a long slate of candidates, from governor, down ticket to local justice of the peace candidates. For help in understanding more about the candidates, election officials suggested checking out the League of Women Voters website at www.lwvtexas.org; or www.votesmart.org.

Both groups claim nonpartisan listings of information on candidates with information on their backgrounds and the issues they feel are important for their particular races.

Terrell’s Riter Hulsey Library also has print copies of the League of Women Voters of Texas Voters Guide. For video highlights from an earlier candidate forum held in Terrell for several county-level candidates, please check out the video gallery at www.terrelltribune.com.