Breckenridge Texan

Early Voting for the Primary Runoff Election kicked off Monday, June 29, with 55 ballots cast locally. Early Voting will continue at the Stephens County Courthouse through Thursday of this week and then again Monday through Friday of next week. Election Day will be July 14.

In the first day of Early Voting, 54 Stephens County citizens voted in the Republican Primary Runoff and one voted in the Democratic Primary Runoff. So far, the Elections Administrator has received 117 Ballots by Mail. A little more than 3 percent of the registered voters in Stephens County have voted in the runoff election.

Locally, the runoff primary election will be between David Fambro and Chad Ezell for the Republican nomination for Stephens County Commissioner, Precinct 1. There are a few state offices on the Republican ballot, depending on the precinct, and a couple of state races on the Democratic ballot.

Masks and hand sanitizer are available at the Stephens Courthouse to help ensure everyone’s safety during Early Voting. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Early Voting for run-off elections is usually only one week, however due to COVID-19, and in an effort to try to avoid a lot of social congestion with lines to vote, the Early Voting for this run-off has been extended to two weeks, said Christie Latham, the Stephens County elections coordinator. This first week of Early Voting will continue through Thursday, July 2, with no voting on Friday, July 3, because the Stephens County Courthouse will be closed for the Independence Day weekend. The second week of Early Voting will be Monday, July 6, through Friday, July 10.

Early Voting will take place at the courthouse, but this year’s set up is going to be a little different, Latham said. Because the east door of the courthouse is the only door open at this time and that hallway is often busy, the voting booths have been relocated to the front entryway of the courthouse. Masks and hand sanitizer will be provided for everyone’s safety.

Currently, the rules for Ballots By Mail remain the same:  Registered voters wanting to vote by mail must be over 65, disabled, or temporarily out of the county.

The last day to apply for a Ballot By Mail is Thursday, July 2, 2020. Ballots received by mail must be returned by mail, Latham said.   They cannot be hand delivered to the Early Voting Clerk at the Tax Office. The only exception to the rule is on Election Day. If a person has requested a Ballot by Mail, the ballot may be returned to the Early Voting Clerk on Election Day only by the actual voter. No one can deliver it for them. Additionally, an affidavit must be signed and government-issued photo ID must be presented if the voter chooses to return their Ballot by Mail in person.

Cutline, top photo: Local citizens wearing masks and practicing social distancing cast their ballots in the Primary Runoff Election on Monday, June 29. Early Voting for the runoff will continue through July 2 and then, following a break for the Independence Day weekend, will continue July 6-10, at the Stephens County Courthouse. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)