Early voting 'not breaking records,' but going well, Lubbock County election head says
About a week into early voting ahead of the Nov. 8 election, the process is reportedly running smoothly, albeit a bit more slowly in Lubbock County.
Though down from 2018, voter turnout is relatively strong compared to other years. And despite a switch to entirely new voting machines, there have been relatively few bumps in the road so far, according to Lubbock County’s elections administrator Roxzine Stinson.
“It’s going well. The first morning there were hiccups — and we expected that with a few places because it is an adjustment — but everybody’s doing really good,” Stinson told the Avalanche-Journal Friday. “I’ve been to most of the (voting locations) and asked them what kind of feedback they’re getting from voters, and we really hadn’t had any complaints.”
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Voter turnout in Lubbock County so far in the general election has been down compared to the same period during the 2018 midterms, but up from midterm cycles prior to that. Similar trends have been seen in Amarillo and across the state.
Through Friday, 26,686 voters had turned out to the polls in Lubbock County, down nearly 30% from the first five days of early voting in 2018 when Beto O’Rourke was challenging Ted Cruz for his U.S. Senate seat. Compared to the same period in 2014, however, the number of ballots cast through midway into early voting has increased almost 125%. Turnout so far in the general election has almost quadrupled from the March primary. Now, the ballot features Democrat O'Rourke challenging incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, along with a host of other statewide and local races and initiatives, including Lubbock's $200 million street bond package.
“(Numbers) are good, not compared to four years ago, but compared to prior, we’re doing really well,” Stinson said. “It is a good turnout, but it’s not breaking records.”
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Stinson said she thinks maybe more voters are waiting until Election Day to cast their ballot, just in case they change their minds.
“Many voters may be waiting, just like my mom. My mom is 85 and she usually votes pretty early, when early voting starts, and she told me the other day she’s waiting,” Stinson said. “She said, ‘Usually I come in and I vote, and then something will happen, and I’ll change my mind,’ so she wants to wait a little longer.”
Stinson said the new state-mandated voting machines the county has instituted beginning this election, which print paper copies of the cast ballot and require voters to deposit the ballot in a separate scanner, have not caused any major problems or confusion so far.
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She feels her office has “done the best we can” in educating voters about the new process and notes the biggest issue they’ve had so far is a handful of voters who have tried to keep their paper ballot. In that case, the vote wouldn’t count.
“I was watching the voters as they cast their ballot, and a couple of them said, ‘Why can’t I keep it?’” Stinson said. But poll workers are making sure they don’t walk out before they scan their ballot, she added.
“We invested in orange vests and the folks at the scanner are wearing the orange vest so you can prominently see them,” Stinson said. “If somebody looks like the need help, you direct them to the person in the orange vest and that’s where you go and deposit your ballot to cast your vote.”
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Early voting continues through Friday, Nov. 4 at the Lubbock County Elections Office, United Supermarkets locations and several other locations across the county. Election Day is Nov. 8. A list of all the polling places and other information on voting in Lubbock County is available at votelubbock.org or by calling (806) 775-1339.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Early voting a bit slower, but going well, Lubbock election head says
