County gains 1,700 voters in time for Nov. 4 election
HIGHLAND LAKES — Intense interest in this year’s presidential election helped spur an additional 1,697 registered voters, county election officials said Friday.
So far, 26,516 people are registered to vote in the Nov. 4 general election, Burnet County Elections Administrator Barbara Agnew told The Daily Tribune.
Early voting for next month’s election begins Monday and runs through Oct. 31, officials said. The contest between U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, is expected to bring a larger-than-usual number of voters to the polls. Many local races will also be on the ballot, though most county elections were decided during this year’s March primary.
“I expect the turnout to be very heavy this year,” Agnew said. “We have passed out a lot of printed early-voting schedules here.”
Agnew said her office received several voter-registration forms after the Oct. 4 deadline, adding those voters will be eligible for the next local election in May.
Local voters who live outside the county have until Oct. 28 to request a mail-in ballot, she said.
“That’s the last day to receive an application for ballot by mail,” she said. “It has to be received here by Oct. 28, that’s not the postmark date.”
Mail-in ballot applications can also be faxed to the elections office at (512) 715-5287, Agnew added.
Agnew said she’s still looking for extra volunteers to assist in this year’s election, adding all helpers must first receive special training.
“We’re fully staffed as of this moment, but it doesn’t hurt to have extra people working during the election,” she said. “Even so, they’ve got to be trained.”
In addition to choosing the nation’s next president, local voters will help decide the senatorial race between U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Noriega, a Democrat. Burnet County voters will also decide several state races, including contests for railroad commissioner and several state Supreme Court seats.
Early voting polls open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at the Burnet County Courthouse, 220 S. Pierce in Burnet and at the Marble Falls Courthouse Annex, 810 Steve Hawkins Parkway. Extended voting hours will be held at both locations 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 22 and Oct. 30, with one day of weekend voting 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 25.
In Llano County, voters can vote early 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday at the Llano County Library, 102 E. Haynie St. in Llano. Extended voting hours will be held 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday and Oct. 27.
Llano County voters can also cast their ballot at the Kingsland Branch Library, 125 W. Polk St. in Kingsland 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, or at the Horseshoe Bay Property Owners Association Offices, 708 Red Sails in Horseshoe Bay 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
All three Llano County locations will be open 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Oct. 25.
chris@thepicayune.com