Election
BY GRACIE WARHURST
Williamson County voters participating in the March 3 primary election will use precinct-specic voting locations on election day. Although the Williamson County Elections Department manages early voting, the Republican and Democratic parties are responsible for election day procedures, County Elections Administrator Bridgette Escobedo said. For the rst time since 2013, the Williamson County Republican Party opted for precinct-specic polling locations, which in turn requires the local Democratic Party to follow suit. Countywide polling locations will remain available through early voting. WilCo moves to precinct voting on election day
Early voting information The county will operate 21 early voting locations from Feb. 17-27. Williamson County voters can cast a ballot at any of these vote centers, though they can only vote in one party’s primary election. Cedar Park-area early voting locations, include: 1 Anderson Mill Limited District 11500 El Salido Parkway, Austin 2 Cedar Park Recreation Center 1435 Main St., Cedar Park 3 Leander Senior Activity Center 709 Municipal Drive, Leander 4 Park at Crystal Falls 7740 183A Toll, Leander 5 Round Rock ISD Harteld Performing Arts Center 5800 McNeil Drive, Austin 6 Spicewood Springs Library 8637 Spicewood Springs Road, Austin
Leander
3
4
175
MUNICIPAL DR.
183A TOLL
1431
MAIN ST.
2
Cedar Park
183
1
5
EL SALIDO PKWY.
6
N
SPICEWOOD SPRINGS RD.
SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTY ELECTIONS DEPARTMENTCOMMUNITY IMPACT
The why
What we know
be combined to get the smaller number of polling locations. Although the parties are not running a joint primary, they could share polling locations on election day depending on space availability. If that happens, each party will operate sepa- rately, using dierent rooms or distinct areas with separate entrances, check-in stations and voting equipment. Republicans and Democrats will also have procedural dierences in how ballots are cast on election day.
Republicans plan to operate 79 polling locations on election day, combining some of the 177 voting precincts. The Democratic Party plans to operate 46 polling locations. These numbers have not been nalized and are subject to change, Williamson County Republican Party Chair Michelle Evans said during a Jan. 27 commissioners court meeting. Voters can check county voter precinct maps to identify their updated precinct, which went into eect Jan. 1. However, it has not been announced how certain precincts will
Williamson County Republican Party Chair Michelle Evans cited voter integrity as the main reason for this change. “We all share the same goal of having a successful primary election with voters that are condent that their ballot is condential, that their ballot is counted and that their ballot matters,” Evans said. Williamson County Democratic Party Chair Kim Collins Gilby said the party strongly opposes precinct-only voting.
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