Ballot order set for March primary election
Republican County Chairman Graham Reaugh, left, and Stephens County Tax Assessor Christie Latham, seated at right, write down candidate names as the candidates look on, along with Reaugh’s daughter, Anna Reaugh. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
The order names of the candidates will appear on the ballot in several contested local county races was determined during a drawing held Thursday night at the Stephens County Courthouse by Republican County Chairman Graham Reaugh.
In the race for County Treasure, incumbent Sharon Trigg will appear first on the ballot followed by challenger Robin McCarthy.
In the race for Justice of Peace office, which is being vacated by Michael Roach who is running unopposed for county judge, Phil Devenport will appear first on the ballot, followed by Dan Young, Leslie LeBus Blackerby, James Wrenn and Steve Spoon.
In the County Commissioners Precinct 2 race to replace retiring commissioner D. C. “Button” Sikes, Bear Grissom, will appear first on the ballot followed by Mark Campbell and Mark McCullough.
In the County Commissioner Precinct 4 position, which is being vacated by Commissioner Rickie Carr who is also retiring, Jamie V. Whitley will appear first, followed by Rodger Yoes, Eric O’Dell, Donnie Sechrest and Jim Blancq.
There are no contested local races in the Democratic primary election.
Reaugh said after the drawing that he registers the ballot order with the Texas Secretary of State’s website and certifies them.
“Basically I just stamp that this is the ballot order, that we did the ballot drawing in this county,” he said. “It’s different for every county. For all the state representatives, it’ll be a different order per county.”
After Reaugh submits the ballot order, Stephens County Tax Assessor Christie Latham, who serves as the Stephens County election official, receives it and submits it to the state along with all the other ballot information, including the Stephens County Democratic ballot order for state races and any propositions that will be on the ballot.
In the coming days, the state will send out an official list of candidates order to Latham, who will determine how many ballots to order.
“It’s a more complex process than you think,” Latham said. “We have to go back and do the math and figure out how many voted in last election. We have to figure out how many voted in last election, per precinct, per party, per district.”
Latham said there has been a change to the vote by mail process. Registered voters who want to vote by mail must reapply every year. She said, for example, if you apply for a ballot by mail on Jan. 1, it will be good for the whole year and you will receive a ballot for all the elections for the year, but you will have to reapply the next year. Anyone who wants to vote by mail in 2018 needs to apply, even if they have applied in the past.
Graham Reaugh explains how the drawing process for ballot placement will work to candidates before the drawing on Thursday. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Story by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan
Cutline, top photo: Republican candidates for Stephens County offices draw numbers from a bowl held by Graham Reaugh, Republican County Chairman, to determine their place on the ballot for the March Primary Election. The drawing was held in the Stephens County Courthouse on Thursday. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
