Early Voting to Begin Next Week for City Council Elections

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS – Early voting for the city council and mayoral elections begins next Monday, April 24, and will continue through May 2.

Early ballots can be cast from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 24 – 28 or from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 1-2 in the Tom Green County Election Office on the first floor of the Edd B. Keyes building, located at 113 W. Beauregard Ave.

Paper and electronic ballots will be available only during early voting. Electronic ballots will be used on Election Day.

On May 6, voters in city council districts 2,4, and 6 will elect representatives to serve a four-year term. After a controversial Facebook post, district 1 city council members, Bill Richardson, resigned from his seat (see here and here). Therefore, residents living in District 1 will vote to elect a representative to fill the remaining two-years of Richardson’s unexpired term.

Below is a list of  city council and mayoral candidates:

• Mayor: Zach Taylor, Charlotte Farmer, Brenda Gunter, Tony Villarreal
• District 1: Tommy Hiebert, Darrin Fentress, Anna Bartosh, Bill Richardson
• District 2: Tom Thompson
• District 4: Chris Giroux, Lucy Gonzalez
• Rebekah Coffman, Billie F. Dewitt, Steve Hampton

A map of City Council districts is posted at cosatx.us/council. To easily find which district one lives in, please click the GIS map viewer on the same page.

Photo identification is required to vote in Texas. Any of these is acceptable photo identifications:

• Texas driver’s license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
• Texas Election Identification Certificate (issued by DPS).
• Texas personal identification card (issued by DPS).
• Texas license to carry a handgun (issued by DPS).
• U.S. military identification card containing the holder’s photo.
• U.S. citizenship certificate containing the holder’s photo.
• U.S. passport.

With the exception of the U.S. citizenship certificate, the identification must be current or have expired no more than four years before being presented for voter qualification at the polling place.

Voters who do not possess and cannot reasonably obtain an ID can fill out a declaration at the polls explaining why. They also must bring one of the following supporting documents:

• Valid voter registration certificate.
• Certified birth certificate (must be an original).
• Copy of or an original of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck.
• Copy of or an original of a government document with your name and an address. The original is required if it contains a photograph.

Voters with a disability may apply with the Elections Office for a permanent exemption to showing an ID at the polls. Voters with a religious objection to being photographed or voters who do not have an ID because of a natural disaster may apply for a temporary exemption to showing an ID. For more information regarding voter IDs, visit voteTexas.gov.

Voters who physically cannot enter a polling place may vote curbside. During early voting, election officials ask that such voters call 325-659-6541 beforehand and advise they will need curbside service, although that is not required. 

Ballots by mail may be requested, but an Application for Ballot by Mail must be completed. Applications are available at voteTomGreenCounty.org or can be mailed to the voter to complete. A completed application must be received by the Election Office no later than April 25 by fax (325-657-9226), by mail (113 W. Beauregard Ave., San Angelo, Texas, 76903, Attn: Early Voting Clerk), or in person by the voter making the request. Once early voting begins April 24, the application cannot be delivered in person.

Voters have an option to receive a ballot for any election held during the year, but they must mark “Annual Application” on the application if they wish to receive ballots for all elections conducted in 2017. Annual applications are valid only for a calendar year, so voters who filed one in 2016 must complete a new application for 2017.

For more information, visit voteTomGreenCounty.org or cosatx.us/elections.