Hays County Commissioners Table Discussion On Second Voting Center Until Tuesday

Corridor Staff

On Tuesday, the Hays County Commissioners discussed reconsidering Election Day Vote Center Locations for the November Election.

The discussion focused on the potential of adding a second vote center for Election Day on the Texas State University Campus.

Last week, the Commissioners approved the vote center locations recommended by the Citizens Election Advisory Commission.

Jennifer Anderson, the Elections Administrator, said she didn’t have the equipment necessary to set up the University Recreation Center with the same one used at the Performing Arts Center.

“I would hesitate to do [pull equipment from another location] in this election,” Anderson said. “We hear a lot about the university, but it’s not the busiest location. Me taking from any location or any potential site that may be an overflow for another busy location could have the opposite effect.”

According to Anderson, the county will be utilizing the same contactless voting that was used during the Primary Run-Off election in July.

Voters will receive a Q-tip and/or a glove to use to cast their votes on the machines, which will be sanitized at ten-minute intervals.

Anderson said she has been told it would take a month to a month and a half to receive additional election equipment from the vendor once purchased.

According to Anderson, the commissioners were slated to consider rescinding the award given to Runbeck Election Services for Election Ballot Printing, Insertion, and Mailing Services.

Anderson said she had spoken to local and regional leads of the United States Postal Service and didn’t have any concerns regarding election mail getting to voters; however, she and her staff were concerned about voters receiving their ballots if they were coming out of Arizona.

“I haven’t been in contact nationally with the post office,” Anderson said. “We plan to process those mail ballots within our office the way we always do. We know it’s going to be heavier and more work, but I spoke with the staff, and we all agree we’d be more comfortable doing it ourselves.”

Anderson said voters can mail their mail-in ballots to the Election Office or deliver them in person; the election office has begun posting the names of voters whose mail-in ballots has been received.

Mark Kennedy said state law does not technically provide for the ability to have drop-boxes for mail-in ballots; while the county could potentially designate a box out front of the government center, it would have to be staffed as voters would be required to show ID and sign a document before being able to submit their mail-in ballot to the box.

According to Kennedy, the county will need to check with the Secretary of State’s office to make sure, but it would allow voters to avoid security and reduce the number of people entering the government center.

Commissioner Mark Jones said if the court considers adding another location in one precinct, then he was going to ask that they add an additional location in all precincts.

“I’ve got people in my precinct that are driving five, ten miles to reach a vote center,” Jones said.

Commissioner Walt Smith noted voters in his precinct have a commute of at least 20 minutes one-way to vote and agreed with Jones on supporting an additional location on campus if additional locations were established in every precinct.

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra said he agreed with adding additional locations in all precincts.

To implement additional vote centers, the county will have to amend the list of election judges, reorganize to ensure locations are staffed and acquire the necessary equipment.

Anderson noted the county was “way deep” into the election planning process.

“It is not that far away. These types of delays and revisions really impact my office.” Anderson said. “Ordering elections, the deadline for that was yesterday (Aug. 17). So every one of those has to go back and revise these polling locations.”

Anderson said if other locations are added, they will have to be looked at and vetted before they can be confirmed, and the county didn’t have that kind of time.

Smith noted that the county has been struggling to find potential locations to be used as voting centers especially due to the current pandemic.  

Commissioners tabled the item until Aug. 25 to provide the Citizens Election Advisory Commission the opportunity to discuss and provide the court with a recommendation.

The commission was slated for a meeting on Wednesday at 6:30 PM.