County has 505 early votes for city, school races

After two days of early voting, a total of 505 people in Orange County have cast ballots for the city and school board races set for May 6.

Some of the entities did not have contested races and were able to cancel elections. The positions with elections are for Orange City Council, Bridge City City Council, Vidor City Council, Vidor ISD board, and West Orange-Cove CISD board.

The Orange County Elections Administration Office reports a total of 249 people have voted early at the Orange Public Library, 72 at the Orange County Airport, and 159 at the Raymond Gould Community Center in Vidor. So far, 25 mail-in ballots have been recorded.

However, registered county voters may go to any of the early sites to vote, so the totals do not necessarily reflect the elections that are drawing the most votes.

The contested Bridge City Council seat is for the vacated Place 3 with Bryant Champagne facing Kenneth Prosperie. All voters in the city will be able to cast a ballot in the race.

For the Orange City Council, the At-Large Position 6 incumbent Paul Burch is being challenged by Old Orange Historic District neighbor Henry Junior Leger. Any qualified registered voter in the city may vote for the position.

The West Orange-Cove school board has two incumbents and one challenger running for the two at-large position openings. Voters in the district may vote for one or two of the three candidates. The two candidates receiving the most votes will be seated. The incumbents are Ruth Hancock and Tommy Wayne Wilson Jr., with Donny Teate Jr. challenging them.

The Vidor City Council has one open challenged position with Ward 6 candidates Victoria M. Jones, Kathryn Weldon, and Lisa M. Harris.

The Vidor ISD board has three positions with challengers. Position 4 candidates are Billy Jordan and Natalie Martinez Long. Brooke Hoosier Gilthorpe and Rodney White are running or Position 5. The Position 7 candidates are Michael Helms, Ben Howard, and Jeremiah Harrington.

The early voting hours will continue from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Extended early voting hours will be Monday, May 1, and Tuesday, May 2, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

May 6 voting will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Orange Public Library, St. Francis Catholic Church in Orange, the Salvation Army in Orange, the Bridge City Knights of Columbus Hall, and the Raymond Gould Community Center in Vidor. Under the county's new expanded voting program, a registered voter may go to any polling site on Election Day, and not their assigned box as in previous years.