LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Early voting for the March primaries begins in two weeks, with the Lubbock County elections office preparing voting machines and seeking some poll workers to close out staffing for dozens of locations.
Elections Administrator Roxzine Stinson said her office has been busy getting machines ready and will start programming them for each polling location this week.
“We’ve done logic and accuracy testing, make sure everything’s working the way it’s supposed to. The ballot is set up, the party chairs have verified the ballots for us and made sure we had the races in the right order, the candidates in the right order. So, we’ve been busy,” Stinson said.
Registered voters must bring one of seven accepted forms of identification to early voting or election day. Voters will select their party preference on a sign-in tablet.
“Then you’re going to get to choose which party you want to vote in because you have to choose. You can’t vote in both. That’s not ‘til November when the candidates are on the same ballot,” Stinson said.
Sample ballots will be available on the county website this week, or voters can call to have one emailed. The ballots include races from statewide positions to local precinct chairs.
“The ballots are long. There are propositions from both parties on there this time. I believe the Republican ballot has 10 propositions, which is basically asking a survey and asking voters what they think and what they’d like them to work on and look at. And the Democratic Party has 13 of those on their ballot this time,” Stinson said.
The elections office has received calls about new voter registration cards, which have been delayed due to redistricting and elections still going on that have rolled over from last year across the state.
“So, just as soon as all that’s done and completed and they’re currently working county by county to help get us our list so we can start mailing those out. So, it may still be a few weeks. They are orange this time, but just remember the photo ID is what you need when you go vote,” Stinson said.
Lubbock County needs poll workers for 36 polling places on election day and 21 for early voting. The office continues recruiting for the primaries and upcoming elections.
“But we still have upcoming elections. It’s not just the primaries. This is an even-numbered year, so we have city schools in May,” Stinson said.
Potential runoffs and the November general election will also require staff. Stinson encouraged skeptical residents to work an election.
“Work an election and see what the processes are and the security procedures we go through and what we do to make sure that it is as fair and as transparent as we can possibly be,” Stinson said.
Poll workers receive pay for training and working elections.
The voter registration deadline for the upcoming primaries passed Monday evening. Early voting runs from Tuesday, February 17 through February 27. Mail ballot applications must be submitted by February 20. Election day is March 3.
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