Early voting in primaries starts Tuesday, Feb. 20

Early voting in the Republican and Democrat Party primaries will begin Tuesday, Feb. 20 with all voting taking place at the Lavaca County Annex Building. The Annex is located at 412 N. Texana St. in Hallettsville.

The election administrator’s office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and have posted the following times to vote early in person:

• Tuesday through Friday, Feb. 20 to 23 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Saturday, Feb. 24 – 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Sunday, Feb. 25 – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Monday through Friday, Feb. 26 to March 1 – 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The primary election will take place on Tuesday, March 5 and will involve candidates seeking their party’s nomination for the general election to be held on the first Tuesday in November.

This year is a presidential election year and voters will go to the polls to vote for their candidate to be the Democrat and Republican nominee.

Locally, there are three contested county races on the Republican Party ballot who are running for the party’s nominee. The county positions having contested races include incumbent Kyle A. Denney facing off against James Reeves for the Lavaca County Attorney Republican Party nominee. Voters residing in Precinct 1, that involves voting precincts 101, 102 and 119, will see a two-candidate race between incumbent commissioner Edward Pustka and challenger Travis Henderson. The third contested race involves incumbent Micah Harmon having two candidates Steven Greenwell and Anthony Vaccaro vying for the party’s nominee for Lavaca County Sheriff. In addition, there are a number of candidates seeking nominations for their party in other federal, state and local offices as well as party referendums and propositions on the Republican Party ballot. With no candidates for county attorney, Pct. 1 commissioner and county sheriff running on the Democrat Party ballot, the winners of these three positions will be uncontested in November. Lavaca County interim elections administrator, Tenia Hudson, said voters who wish to vote for county sheriff, attorney or commissioner, these candidates only appear on the Republican Party ballots. Hudson also said voters who plan to vote early in person are reminded to bring an acceptable form of ID to the polls. The voter must present one of the following forms of photo identification when voting in person:

• Texas driver license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

• Texas election identification certificate issued by the DPS.

• Texas personal identification card issued by the DPS.

•Texas concealed handgun license issued by the DPS.

• United States military identification card containing your photograph.

• United States citizenship certificate containing your photograph.

• United States passport. Voters, who plan to vote, ballot by mail, are also reminded that applications must be received at the election administrator’s office no later than the close of business on Friday, Feb. 23.

For more information, contact the Lavaca County election administrator’s office at (361) 798-3594 or visit the Lavaca County website and scroll to elections.