Local voters flock to early polls on first day

More than 1,600 people went to the four early voting sites Monday, the first day of early voting for the November 8 general election. The Orange County Elections Administration tallied a total of 2,180 votes the first day.

The Raymond Gould Community Center in Vidor had 553 people voting on Monday, followed by the Orange Public Library with 462, the Orange County Airport with 448, and the Mauriceville Community Center with 211, for a total of 1,674 in-person votes.

The elections administration reports 504 mail-in ballots were counted on Monday, along with one early voting provisional ballot plus one limited ballot for a grand total of 2,180. Because any county registered voter may go to any of the four early sites, break-downs of ballots cast for individual races is not reported.

On Tuesday, the county had extended early voting hours and numbers were not available for The Record deadline.

This year for the first time people living in the county's four emergency services districts, which provide fire protection service to different areas, will vote directly for the members of the districts' boards of directors. The ESDs do not follow county precinct lines.

ESD 1 is for residents in the city of Vidor and its outlying areas and has seven people running. Candidates are Jerry E. Aldridge, Gene Domec, Nelda Nash, Kenneth Luce, Larry C. Williams III, Wyatt Boyett, and John H. Houseman.

ESD 2 is for the city of Bridge City and its outlying areas including Orangefield. Six people filed to run. Candidates are Glen Childers Jr., Chris Landry, Wes Arnold, Aaron McNeil, Carroll LeBlanc, and Scott Barnes.

ESD 3 is the Little Cypress Fire and Rescue Department. Six candidates filed for the five positions. Candidates are Wayne LaCombe, Bobby Smith, Wesley Journeay, Corina Alonso, Cammie Manshack Vincent, and Cathy Drake.

ESD 4 covers the Mauriceville and McLewis areas. Only five people filed for the five positions. Candidates are Anthony Shue, Robert H. Hymes, Dan Brack, David Covey, and David Jones.

The other local election drawing attention is for the Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD, which is holding a Voter Approved Tax Rate election.

Early voting through Friday, October 28, will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Saturday, October 29, early voting will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday voting on October 30 will be 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Then voting will begin again on Monday, October 31, through Friday, November 4, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Orange County's early voting sites for the November general election will be the Orange Public Library, Mauriceville Community Center, Orange County Airport, and Raymond Gould Community Center in Vidor. Registered Orange County voters may go to any of the early voting sites to cast a ballot. On Election Day, they are required to go to their assigned voting box.

The ballots for the November 8 general election will also include a number of races for national, state, and county public offices. The election drawing the most attention in Texas is for governor as the Republican incumbent Greg Abbott faces Democratic challenger former U.S. Representative Beto O'Rourke.

Statewide redistricting last year moved Orange County from Congressional District 36 to District 14, represented by Republican Randy Weber, who is facing Democrat Mikal Williams.

Orange County's state representative, Republican Dade Phelan, who served as speaker of the Texas House of Representatives in the last legislative session, is running unopposed.

For State Senator District 3, which includes Orange County, Republican incumbent Robert Nichols is facing Democrat Steve Russell and Libertarian Desarae Lindsey.

The Orangefield school district was scheduled to have a board of trustees election, but was able to cancel the election because of no contested races.

The county has a number of open positions that have only Republican candidates running unopposed.